21/12/2025
ILOILO CITY – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 12 launched its first-ever Treasures of Region 12: A Christmas Trade Expo in Western Visayas on December 17, 2025, at SM City Iloilo.
The five-day event showcases SOCCSKSARGEN’s finest products and cultural heritage, featuring premium tuna, world-class coffee, handwoven Tnalak fabrics, brassware, processed food, and aquaculture goods.
The opening was marked by a colorful performance from the Koronadal Hinugyaw Cultural Dance Troupe.
DTI 12 Regional Director Flora D. Politud-Gabunales highlighted the resilience and creativity of Mindanao’s MSMEs, calling the expo “a celebration of stories, culture, and the enduring spirit of Mindanao.”
DTI Region VI, led by OIC Director Ma. Dinda R. Tamayo, expressed full support, welcoming the event as an honor for Iloilo, the “City of Love.”
Local government units from Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City, along with partner agencies PCA XII, BFAR XII, and PIA VI, also backed the initiative.
The expo runs until December 21, 2025, at SM City Iloilo’s Event Center.