1st Bulacan Buildex 2012 hailed

MALOLOS CITY—Government officials and businessmen hailed the recently concluded 1^st Bulacan Builders Exposition 2012 (Buildex 2012) here saying it’s a big step in inspiring public and private partnership.

Organized by the Bulacan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) in coordination with the provincial government of Bulacan, the three-day Buildex 2012 drew hundreds of participants along with at least 80 exhibitors.

“This is the first of its kind, because no province has organized an activity like this,” said Blesila Lantayona, the director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Central Luzon.

She explained that builder’s exposition is usually organized by countries, and not by province of a local business chamber.

Lantayona also said that she was not surprised why the BCCI and the provincial government of Bulacan pushed for Buildex 2012.

She said that the no other province in the country is home to companies that holds product standard (PS) mark from the DTI.

“There are 32 companies in Bulacan that holds 32 PS marks for at least 52 different products,’ she said.

Lantayona said that existence of products manufactured in Bulacan with PS mark only shows that the province is primed for the exposition.

She added that it also proves that products manufactured in the province are of high quality.

Rhine Aldana, the provincial director of the DTI in Bulacan said that some of the products manufactured in the province with PS mark are cement, galvanized iron roofing, nails and even plastics based pipes.

She added that quality of products sold in the province is also screened by sellers.

This is through the Bulacan Association Hardwares Inc.m, (Bahai) which was organized last year to ensure that only products that have PS mark will be sold in the province.

For his part, Lawyer Miguel Varela, the president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said that the exposition is timely fast becoming an investment haven for real estate with bustling metropolitan areas.

He said that Bulacan is now developing to take advantage as a vital economic growth area in the country that will complement Metro Manila.

This developed, Governor Wilhelmino Alvarado said that Buildex 2012 was meant to show the competitiveness of Bulacan.

He said that he was saddened by the fact that Bulacan is equated with disasters after the the floods spawned by Pedring last year and southwest monsoon last August.

“Buildex 2012 showed that Bulacan can be a haven for suburban living and we are working together to make that happen,’ he said.