The Mindanao Trade Expo Foundation, Inc. is a trade and retail exhibition that helps develop, strengthen, and promote promising micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The foundation features various products such as bags, clothing, jewelry, home furnishings, food, and more.

MTEFI partners with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PhilExport), and Ayala Malls to make the exhibitions a success and bring together creative entrepreneurs all over the country.  The show not only inspires creativity but also empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners.

“By having a regular business with an entrepreneur, the community becomes more empowered as they enjoy regular income,” MTEFI President Dr. Rosevic del Rosario-Cembrano said in an interview with Sunstar.

According to Cembrano, the foundation is committed to providing a venue to promote local products and at the same time empower communities. For more than two decades, MTEFI has supported thousands of MSMEs and has generated over a billion pesos in sales. 

With the foundation’s help, locales can now take advantage of material manipulation and designs as a source livelihood. An example of this is when a design-entrepreneur holds a product development workshop in a community with available raw materials. Using the knowledge acquired from the workshop, locales can continue creating and selling their products with the design-entrepreneur. That way, the locales do not have to leave their community. They can also take ownership of their design while earning a stable income. 

MTEFI holds yearly exhibitions in Mindanao. Last August 2019, the exhibition was held at Abreeza Mall, Davao City. Over 120 local entrepreneurs and artisans impressed shoppers and institutional buyers with their craftmanship. Their products ranged from food to fashion accessories to home furnishings and more. For those looking to promote their local products in Mindanao, MTEFI exhibitions are the way to go.