The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Eastern Visayas is urging micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) engaged in processed food production to secure a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) license to have access to government-supported trade fairs and expand their market reach.

The call was made during the opening of the four-day 2nd Eastern Visayas Regional Coconut Trade Fair at Robinsons Place in Tacloban City on Friday, where 24 MSMEs assisted by DTI and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) are showcasing coconut-based food and non-food products.

DTI Regional Director Celerina Bato said the lower number of exhibitors this year —down from 28 during the inaugural trade fair in 2025 — was largely due to stricter compliance requirements for food businesses.

Bato said all participating food exhibitors are now required to either hold a valid FDA license or have an application in process, in line with directives from the DTI regional operations group.

She emphasized the stricter requirements are intended to raise product quality and strengthen consumer protection rather than limit MSME participation.

“This heightened compliance standard is a primary reason our exhibitors are lower than last year, but I see this not as a setback but a step forward for quality and consumer safety,” Bato said.

The DTI official encouraged coconut MSMEs to complete their FDA requirements, assuring them that the agency continues to aid and facilitate compliance.

“We continue to walk along with our coconut MSMEs, providing assistance and fast-tracking their compliance so they too can take a rightful place at our next trade fair,” she said.

An FDA license authorizes establishments to conduct regulated activities involving food and other health-related products and serves as an important requirement for ensuring compliance with food safety standards.

For coconut enterprises, obtaining the license can also provide a pathway to wider market opportunities, including participation in government-sponsored trade fairs and access to major commercial outlets.

PCA Regional Manager Marlon Terado said FDA compliance could help participating enterprises expand their businesses by making their products more accessible to larger markets.

“We expect that since our exhibitors here are already FDA-registered, their market will become wider and they will be able to expand,” Terado said.

The trade fair is part of the implementation of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan under Republic Act 11524, which seeks to increase the income and productivity of coconut farmers, promote poverty alleviation and social equity, and modernize the country’s coconut industry through a 50-year development program.

The four-day event features value-added coconut products, including food and non-food items, with organizers targeting PHP1.5 million in sales.

Among the exhibitors is Island’s Best of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, which is promoting coconut wine, a fermented beverage made from coconut water. The product, which has an alcohol content of 13 percent, is available in classic and calamansi variants. (PNA)