JOEL P. MAPILES
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Governor Lilia G. Pineda vowed to help boost the multi-billion local and export furniture industry in the province as saying that this is one of the keys in generating more jobs and employment for the cabalens and at the same time, strengthen the local economy.
This developed as the Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines (CFIP), Pampanga Chapter led by its President, Remigio L. Lastimoso paid a courtesy call on the governor yesterday to get her support for the industry.
After a brief meeting, both the governor and the furniture makers look forward to a productive partnership towards giving the furniture industry and the local economy a big boost.
With this, the governor committed to set up a showroom where the CFIP members could display their products.
“We shall find an appropriate location and set it up as a decent and attractive venue where you could showcase your beautiful and quality furniture pieces,” the governor told the CFIP.
Lastimoso and his group expressed elation over the governor’s commitment, adding that a showroom would help attract buyers, strengthen the local market and revive the weakened export market.
According to Lastimoso, they had a very productive meeting with the governor who expressed a desire to have a stronger government and private sector partnership for the furniture industry.
The governor said that Pampanga is known for its beautifully crafted furniture pieces and it needs all the support it can get from the provincial government.
“A closer tie up between us would result in generating employment for our cabalens and a stronger economy for the province,” Pineda said.
The governor asked Lastimoso and his group to conduct continuous training programs to upgrade the skills of our local designers, carpenters, weavers, and other workers in the industry.
The CFIP is conducting design competitions among local schools, technical and vocational schools, in particular, to give young students an early exposure to commercial furniture designing.
As of now, Lastimoso said they have been getting projects include the production of furnishings for residences, hotels, restaurants, resorts, and other institutions.
Lastimoso revealed that the CFIP Pampanga chapter is composed of 55 companies, his company, Country Accents, being one of them.
“We employ a total of 150 people per company and we have at least 10,000 employees, suppliers, sub-contractors and other stakeholders in the local furniture industry.”
He also declared that the furniture industry in the province alone is a multi-billion business covering machineries, production, properties, among others.
“Even a small scale furniture maker would have at least P15 million worth of property, while bigger companies would definitely cost higher.”
However, Lastimoso laments the downturn in the furniture industry caused earlier by the global recession and now compounded by the strong showing of the peso against the US dollar.
Thus, the demand for local furniture abroad has plunged down and this has led them to focus on the local market.
“Our production used to be 70% for the foreign market and 30% for local buyers; now the ratio is 60% for the local market and 40 for export.”
According to him, they do furniture collections for these including complete home furnishings, accessories, lightings and the like.
The CFIP is optimistic that with the support of the provincial government they could improve more the local market and bounce back from their losses when it comes to foreign demands. (Pampanga PIO)
