Center for International Trade Missions and Expositions (CITEM)

• Main Authors: Baquiano, Melecio, Diano, Stephen Marcus C., Domingo, Benjamin I.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1992
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/16786
• Institution: De La Salle University

Created on 20 January 1983 by Executive Order No. 939, the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) is tasked to manage an export promotion organization that will plan, organize and implement trade fairs, special exhibits, selling missions and other promotional activities here and abroad serving as springboards for the exporters aiming to establish a foothold in the global market. CITEM is basically a government agency and being so, it is basically not a profit-oriented entity but a service oriented one. Its services basically covers the entire field of exporting non-traditional Philippine products. The services it offers are divided into two (2) namely: Promotions Program and Corollary Services. The international market is basically the market being catered into by CITEM. With such a wide scope of the market, CITEM classifies its market/buyers into two (2), namely: the Primary Market and the Secondary Market. WIth reference to the competitors of CITEM, these competitors are only in competition in terms that they are private organizations that also hold exhibits and trade fairs of the same nature as CITEM does. They compete in terms of having to divided the market of incoming buyers that come to the Philippines to import non-traditional export products being exhibited in the trade fairs specifically in Manila and Cebu. Therefore, in the national sense, competition is not applicable because as a government agency, it should refrain from competing with the private sector. However, when it comes to an international sense, there is definitely competition as it faces other countries' exhibitors. Our training was divided into two namely one (1) in the International Operations of CITEM and the other two (2) in its Domestic Operations. In general, the function performed by the group is to assist in the preparation of various trade exhibits namely the New York Selling Mission and the Manila F.A.M.E. 9th Furniture and Furnishings Market Week and the 15th Gifts, Toys, and Households Accessories Market week. Specifically, our tasks were as follows: to liaise with the exporters and manufacturers regarding the needed requirements in their application for the New York Mission and the two (2) Market Weeks to prepare correspondence/letter of invitation to buyers, exporters locally based, commercial attaches abroad and other trade organizations in the dissemination of promotional collateral to act as a member of the Market Week Secretariat during the fair proper. The group also conducted a SWOT analysis on CITEM. The strength of CITEM is basically its human resources. CITEM is handled by a very hardworking workforce. Like any other government agency, the weakness that plagues CITEM is bureaucracy. This slows down function, kills opportunities and waste money just for waiting an approval from other agencies concerned. The absence of a permanent dwelling place, change in the market condition, international competition and the volatile political situation are the threats that hound CITEM eversince its creation. But nevertheless, the opportunities such as a favorable change of the market condition in both international and local front, arrival of foreign grants, and its proposed privatization are the factors that keep this prestigious establishment going. Meanwhile, like any other business entity, CITEM has its own problems. Based on the group's research, the perceived marketing problems are the following: lack of budget, delivery of needed materials is hampered by bureaucracy, lack of manpower complement, and the demand to meet international standards of fair facilities. Based on the SWOT analysis and the Problem analysis conducted by the group, it can therefore concluded that CITEM is an essential entity in the promotion of non-traditional exports of the Philippines. Its track record proves its worth. It is therefore recommended by the group that CITEM continue to implement its promotions program and increase the budget allocated for its operations. This may be just a fairy tale if it is still under the government. Thus it is recommended that CITEM be privatized so that it can work freely in the fields of revenues, advertising and promotions.