CFIF

CFIF elects new trustees

2010-07-26T01:11:00.000-07:00

Shortly after its General Membership Meeting, CFIF conducted the election of its Board of Trustees.
The new Board of Trustees for fiscal year 2010-2012 are:
• Maria del Carmen Cancio of Axent Wood Corporation
• Pete Delantar of Nature’s Legacy Eximport Inc.
• Venus Genson of Venus Craft Corporation
• Cristina Lo of Coast Pacific Manufacturing Corporation
• Evelyn Selma of Stonesets International Inc.
• Clayton Tugonon of Classical Geometry Export Trading

CFIF general membership meeting, poll a success

2010-07-26T01:09:00.000-07:00

If the attendance to the 36th General Membership Meeting (GMM) on July 20, 2010 is indicative of the future of the Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation, Inc. (CFIF) as a group, then things are turning out for the better. The number of people who came to the GMM reached 112, exceeding our expectations. The convention hall at the Maribago Blue Water Resort and Spa was filled by members and partners of CFIF.
Sen. Sergio Osmeña III gave the keynote address, which tackled the present state of the Philippine furniture industry and the future scenario for the sector under the new administration.
The senator also opted to open himself to questions, which the members took advantage of by raising issues and concerns that pertain to their operations. These issues included the value-added tax (VAT) and assistance from government for the export sector.
Right after Osmeña’s talk, CFIF President Angela Paulin gave a report on programs, projects and activities done in the previous year. Her speech highlighted organizational changes in the Secretariat, the CEBUNEXT 2010, the Materials Library, the Sectoral Export Marketing Plan project, SMES for environmental Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency (SMART) Cebu project, the TMAPs seminars and other trainings.
Ms. Paulin also urged all member-companies to be more active in the Foundation because the status of CFIF mirrors the overall state of the industry.
After the reports of the president and the treasurer, CFIF conducted the election of its Board of Trustees.
The new Board of Trustees for fiscal year 2010-2012 are:
• Maria del Carmen Cancio of Axent Wood Corporation
• Pete Delantar of Nature’s Legacy Eximport Inc.
• Venus Genson of Venus Craft Corporation
• Cristina Lo of Coast Pacific Manufacturing Corporation
• Evelyn Selma of Stonesets International Inc.
• Clayton Tugonon of Classical Geometry Export Trading

The Foundation invited all members to the CEBUNEXT launching on August 19, 2010.
Meanwhile, CEBUNEXT 2010 Exhibitors went home after in high spirits after receiving their refund of their participation fee to the show. The refund was made possible by the financial assistance of more than P4 million from the Export Development Council.
Teamwork within the Secretariat made the whole activity a success. But the support of the event’s sponsors made everything easier. The event’s sponsors are: Maribago Bluewater Resort, Delta Air Lines, Cebu Web Services, Cebu Marriott Hotel, ChinaTrust, PAGCOR, PLDT-SME and DBR Advertising.

Sen. Serge Osmeña speaks at CFIF event

2010-07-26T01:01:00.000-07:00

During the CFIF General Membership Meeting, Sen. Sergio Osmeña III gave the keynote address, which tackled the present state of the Philippine furniture industry and the future scenario for the sector under the new administration.

The senator also opted to open himself to questions, which the members took advantage of by raising issues and concerns that pertain to their operations. These issues included the value-added tax (VAT) and assistance from government for the export sector.

CEBUNEXT in 5 minutes

2010-05-30T20:47:00.000-07:00

CEBUNEXT picks 2010 Mugna Awards winners

2010-05-20T23:27:00.000-07:00

BUYERS were not the only ones who came out lightheaded from a recent cocktail party that organizers of the Cebu International Furniture and Furnishings Exhibition (CEBUNEXT) threw for show participants. Several designers and furniture manufacturers also left the party in high spirits after winning the Mugna Awards.
Mugna Awards are given to exemplary designs for exhibitors at CEBUNEXT, which has been known for 20 years as Cebu X. Awards are given to the best designs for traditional, transitional, contemporary and outdoor furniture pieces; home accessory; design by a student under the Student Internship Program (SIP); booth; material innovation; eco-friendly product; and Mugna heritage. The best promotional tool is also given a Mugna award.
This year’s Mugna winners are: the “occasional chair” by Winsor White for Mehitabel Furniture Co. for traditional furniture; “transitional accent chair” by Casa Cebuana Incorporada for transitional furniture; Vito Selma’s “GEO” for Stonesets International, contemporary furniture; Oliver Romano’s “Oliver Rock” for Woven Furniture Designs Inc., outdoor furniture; the “chambered nautilus” by Arden Siarot of Arden Classic in the home accessory category; and Joseph Mari Laxina’s “Cantary” chair for Coast Pacific Manufacturing, the winner in the student category.
Other Mugna winners are: for booth design, Detalia Aurora by Luisa Robinson; for material innovation; Selma’s “Wrinkle” for Stonesets International; for eco-friendly product, “Dune Wall,” by Pete Delantar for Nature’s Legacy Eximport; for Mugna heritage, “Ripples,” by Debbie Palao for Design Ventures Cebu.
The promotional tools used by Design Ventures Cebu, conceptualized by Karla Batiquin, won a Mugna as well.
For this year, the Mugna panel of judges is composed of Elizabeth Reyes, author of Tropical Interiors, as chairperson with Rino Datuin of the Industrial Design College of the De La Salle University-St. Benilde and Prof. Katsuyoku Matsuura, architect and interior planner, as members.
The Mugna Awards is organized by the Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation, also the organizer of CEBUNEXT, in cooperation with the Department of Trade and Industry-Cebu Provincial Office.

CEBUNEXT organizers note rising local interest, increase in Australian buyers

2010-05-20T21:16:00.001-07:00

BUYERS representing Philippine-based companies were the top visitors during the Cebu International Furniture and Furnishings Exhibition (CEBUNEXT) 2010, followed by American and Australian buyers.
Philippine-based buyers made up nearly 45 percent of the buyer population of the show while those from the US came up second, but only accounted for about 11 percent of the total number of buyers.

The Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation Inc. (CFIF), organizer of the CEBUNEXT 2010 (formerly known as Cebu X), said local interest in the annual show has been increasing in the past two years.

CFIF noted that attendance of buyers from Australia has also increased to nearly 5 percent from 2.6 percent in 2009. The organizers also saw growing interest from United Kingdom and India.
Overall, however, nearly 62 percent of buyers during CEBUNEXT were from Asia.

Although this year’s show attracted about 1,000 buyers compared to 1,200 in 2009, CFIF reported that there has been an increase of almost 30 percent in the number of companies that these buyers represent.
Show organizers said this is good news as it meant that more companies are interested in the show.
Most of the buyers who attended the show represented companies engaged in wholesale (32 percent) while retailers made up the second biggest group (27 percent). There were also homeowners, architects and sales agents.
The recent global economic meltdown has weakened the Philippine export sector, particularly furniture exporters. CFIF said this is why it was not surprised by the low number of exhibitors during CEBUNEXT 2010, 50 compared to 55 in 2009.
Those who participated in the show, however, received assistance from the Philippine National Government, through the Export Development Council (EDC). The EDC approved financial assistance amounting to P4.8 million to CEBUNEXT 2010 under the Export Support Fund of the government.
Still, total sales reported by exhibitors reached US$4.1 million, higher than the US$3.9 million reported in 2009.
Taking into consideration the present economic conditions, the exhibitors described the outcome of their participation in the show as “good,” both in terms of buyers’ response and their sales.
CEBUNEXT is a showcase of the best of the Philippine furniture and furnishings industry, and serves as the launching pad of innovation and creativity that Filipino furniture manufacturers are known for worldwide.
Next year’s CEBUNEXT is expected to feature more sustainable and eco-friendly designs as the Cebu furniture industry has been chosen as partner in the implementation of a European Union-funded project—dubbed the SMEs (small and medium enterprises) for environmental Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency—that promotes sustainable production and consumption. The project supports the Cebu furniture industry’s plan to position itself as destination of eco-furniture and furnishings.