MIMAROPA's Hidden Treasures Take Center Stage: Inside the Region's Biggest Trade Showcase

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

MAKATI CITY — The pristine waters of Palawan. The marble-rich mountains of Romblon. The lush forests of Mindoro. The historical heart of Marinduque. For four days starting today, these island provinces are converging at Glorietta Activity Center for what promises to be the most ambitious celebration of regional entrepreneurship the country has seen this year.

The 2025 OBRA MIMAROPA Trade Show opened its doors this afternoon with a bold declaration: #MaramiPaSaMIMAROPA — there's so much more to the region than meets the eye. And with 124 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from across five provinces, the event is proving that statement true in spectacular fashion.

A Movement, Not Just a Trade Show

"This is more than a marketplace," explains the event brief. "It's a movement to promote and capture the economic diversification and local entrepreneurship in the region."

The numbers tell a compelling story of growth. Last year's inaugural event brought together 51 exhibitors and generated ₱6 million in sales. This year? The organizers have nearly doubled participation to 124 MSMEs across 59 retail booths, with an ambitious target of ₱7 million in sales.

Oriental Mindoro leads the charge with 35 participating businesses, followed closely by Marinduque with 33. Occidental Mindoro, Romblon, and Palawan each contribute between 18 and 19 exhibitors — a remarkable showing that demonstrates the breadth of entrepreneurial energy pulsing through the region.

The Opening Day Spectacle

This afternoon's grand opening was nothing short of ceremonial theater. Beginning at 2:00 PM, the program featured prayer, the national anthem, and the stirring "Beloved MIMAROPA" and "Bagong Pilipinas" hymns — a reminder that regional pride and national identity are inextricably linked.

DTI Secretary Ma. Cristina A. Roque was invited to headline the event (just not sure if she would be able to grace the event with her presence) , alongside key officials from partner agencies. The welcome remarks came from RD FnP. Amormio CIS Benter and CESE of DTI MIMAROPA, followed by a message of support from Dr. Sergio Ortiz-Luis, Jr., President of PhilExport.

But perhaps the most anticipated moment was the keynote address by Undersecretary Blesila Lantayona of the DTI Regional Operations Group, who introduced the strategic vision behind this year's expanded showcase.

By 6:00 PM, as the Ganado Cultural Dance Troupe from Occidental Mindoro took the stage for the first cultural performance, the message was clear: MIMAROPA is ready to dance onto the national — and international — stage.

Five Vendors You Cannot Miss

Among the 124 exhibitors, several stand out as must-visit destinations:

Lionheart Farms from Palawan brings their premium organic coconut flower sap products under the CÓCOES brand, along with SLOW Drinks made from coconut flower nectar. In an era of health-conscious consumers, their naturally low-glycemic offerings position them at the intersection of tradition and wellness.

Sea Warriors Furniture from Romblon returns as the reigning champion — they were the overall top seller at last year's show. Their success speaks to the enduring appeal of Romblon's world-class craftsmanship, born from the province's legendary marble deposits.

Carl's Earthen Pots and Ceramics from Oriental Mindoro showcases the artisanal pottery tradition that has quietly thrived in the province for generations. In an age of mass production, their handcrafted pieces offer authenticity that resonates with modern buyers.

PaperThings from Occidental Mindoro has tapped into the trendy macramé bag movement, proving that traditional knotting techniques can find new life in contemporary fashion.

But perhaps the most intriguing is Marbello Enterprises from Marinduque, makers of Cocoong — a bagoong alamang-inspired condiment made entirely from coconut meat and soya, without the fermented shrimp. It's innovation rooted in Filipino flavor profiles, reimagined for vegetarian and allergen-conscious consumers.

Beyond the Retail Hall: A Feast for the Senses

The trade show is divided into distinct experiential zones, each offering something different:

Objects of Art presents creative expressions through food, fashion, and home furnishings. The Product Showcase displays prototypes from product development sessions across the provinces, while the Coco Bar invites visitors into a "gustatory experience" featuring coconut as the star ingredient in both food and beverages.

The Bayanihan Exhibit takes a more immersive approach, inspired by Filipino culture to transport visitors through showroom exhibits that capture life across Mindoro, Marinduque, Palawan, and Romblon.

The Retail Hall is where the serious shopping happens — 59 booths packed with products spanning food, fashion, and home furnishings.

Arte-Xhibit might be the most dynamic space, featuring talks, discussions, and performances from the creative industry throughout the four-day run.

Four Days of Discovery

The programming across October 2-5 is dense with learning opportunities:

Day 2 (October 3) features Info Talks on Packaging 101, the Philippine Quality Award Journey, PhilExport Membership, and supply chain logistics. A live coconut cooking demo by Celebrity Chef Rosebud Benitez promises to be both educational and entertaining.

Day 3 (October 4) shifts focus to the Creative Talks series, with sessions on live recording for podcasts, ceramic pottery demonstrations, photography, dance, and advertising. The day closes with a coconut drink-mixing demonstration at the Coco Bar.

Day 4 (October 5) features a visual arts live painting session by Mr. Wilfredo Rufon of Voyage: The Mindoro Artist Group, before the closing ceremony at 5:00 PM.

Throughout, DIY Postcard Stations invite visitors to collect stamps at each station, completing souvenir postcards that serve as tangible memories of the MIMAROPA journey.

A Partnership Ecosystem

The event's success rests on an impressive coalition of nine partners and sponsors. Event partners include PhilExport MIMAROPA, the provincial governments of Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, and Romblon, the city governments of Calapan and Puerto Princesa, and the regional offices of the Department of Agriculture, Department of Tourism, and Department of Science and Technology.

Programs like OTOP PH, SSF, DTI-CARP, and DTI-CFIDP serve as sponsors, while the Department of Information and Communications Technology and Department of Migrant Workers provide support. GCash stands as the official payment partner, facilitating seamless digital transactions.

The Bigger Picture

What's happening at Glorietta Activity Center this week represents something larger than a trade show. It's a statement about the resilience and creativity of Philippine MSMEs. It's proof that islands once considered peripheral to Metro Manila's economic gravity are crafting their own narratives of innovation and excellence.

The MIMAROPA region — an acronym for Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan — has long been known for its natural beauty. Now, it's demanding recognition for its entrepreneurial spirit.

As visitors wander through the retail booths, taste coconut-based innovations at the Coco Bar, watch cultural performances, and attend talks on everything from packaging to pottery, they're not just shopping. They're participating in the economic diversification of a region that refuses to be defined solely by its geography.

#MaramiPaSaMIMAROPA isn't just a hashtag. It's a promise — and for the next four days at Glorietta, that promise is being kept.

The 2025 OBRA MIMAROPA Trade Show runs through October 5, 2025, at Glorietta Activity Center, Makati City. For more information, visit DTI MIMAROPA's official Facebook page or email r04b@dti.gov.ph.

Batangas LGU Reinforces the DOH’s HPV Vaccination Program

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

LGU action reinforces the push for a stronger, nationwide DOH program to meet WHO cervical cancer elimination goals by 2030

Sto. Tomas City Mayor Arth Jhun A. Marasigan leads the city’s localized Cervical Cancer Elimination (CCE) Plan under the program SHEmpre Ligtas–Student Health Education, implemented by the Health Education and Promotion Unit (HEPU) of Sto. Tomas.

Santo Tomas City in Batangas has taken bold steps in its cervical cancer prevention program by investing in immunization of adolescent girls both in private and public schools with the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) 4-valent vaccine. This is in support of the Department of Health’s (DOH) National Immunization Program for cervical cancer prevention. The initiative under the leadership of Sto. Tomas City Mayor Arth Jhun A. Marasigan, underscores the vital role of local governments in achieving the World Health Organization’s (WHO) target to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030.

Despite the long delay in the delivery of HPV vaccines supply from the DOH, to sustain vaccination efforts, leading LGUs like Sto. Tomas City are stepping up by allocating local funds to procure 4-Valent HPV Vaccines to ensure the continuity of the DOH’s national HPV immunization program.

 
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among Filipino women, yet it is largely preventable through HPV vaccination and screening; and highly manageable with timely treatment.

Sto. Tomas: A Model for Local Action
In 2024, Sto. Tomas completed the catch-up vaccination of around 1,800 14-year-old school girls from public and private who missed their dose of the 4-valent HPV Vaccine initiated by the DOH, as part of its localized Cervical Cancer Elimination (CCE) Plan under the program SHEmpre Ligtas–Student Health Education, implemented by the Health Education and Promotion Unit (HEPU) of Sto. Tomas.

With this milestone achieved, the city has now moved into the next phase, targeting to vaccinate another batch of around 1800 school girls with the 4-Valent HPV Vaccine. This plan runs until 2030, ensuring protection for every adolescent girl in Sto. Tomas.

Mayor Marasigan emphasized that the initiative complements the DOH’s current program in place, which covers public school girls aged 9 to 14 years old.
“Cervical cancer elimination is a shared responsibility. While the Department of Health leads through the National Immunization Program, LGUs like Sto. Tomas must do our part to ensure no girl is left behind. By investing in HPV vaccination, we are securing the future of our daughters and our community,” he said.

“Our commitment is long-term. We will continue vaccinating adolescent girls until 2030. This is not just a health program; it is a legacy we want to leave for future generations: a city free from cervical cancer.”

National Momentum for HPV Immunization

The health program of Sto. Tomas is very aligned with the State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. highlighted HPV vaccination as a government priority, noting dedicated funds to protect Filipinos from HPV-related cancers. The DOH’s 2025 budget includes increased funding allocation for HPV vaccines, signaling progress in addressing preventable cancers
Still, the country’s coverage remains below WHO’s 90% target, with many girls over 15 left outside the DOH’s designated group. This reality underscores the importance of LGU complementation.

“We welcome the renewed prioritization of HPV vaccination at the national level. But even with these investments, local governments must continue bridging critical gaps. I call on my fellow mayors and governors: let us step up together. With national and local governments working hand in hand, we can meet the WHO 90-70-90 goals for the Philippines. We also hope that our initiative the, DOH central office would increase its assistance to us as an LGU especially with this health priority of ours.” Mayor Marasigan added.

The WHO strategy calls for 90% of girls fully vaccinated with HPV vaccine by age 15, 70% of women screened at least twice in their lifetime, and 90% of women with pre-cancer or cancer receiving treatment.
Sto. Tomas’ experience shows how LGU-led investments can sustain momentum toward cervical cancer elimination despite challenges. With DOH leadership, increased national funding, and stronger LGU initiatives, the Philippines can protect the next generation and move closer to eliminating cervical cancer by 2030.




Other Photos:

Through the SHEmpre Ligtas – Student Health Education (SHE) program, Sto. Tomas, Batangas empowers young girls with knowledge as part of its localized Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan.

As part of the SHEmpre Ligtas – Student Health Education (SHE) program, Sto. Tomas, Batangas brings HPV vaccination closer to students— a vital step in the city’s Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan.

The Invisible Betrayal: How Air We Breathe Is Quietly Stealing Health in India

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

She never saw it coming.

But for millions of Indian women and children, a silent predator is eroding health from within. It doesn’t announce itself. It doesn’t leave fingerprints. It drifts in on the wind. It is PM₂.₅, fine particulate pollution — and over long periods, it is being linked to a cascade of illnesses: hypertension, diabetes, chronic lung disease, anemia, low birth weight, respiratory infections in kids.

Now, armed with a powerful interactive dashboard, researchers are connecting the dots — mapping how decades of exposure to dirty air are manifesting in bodies, across 641 districts. The implications are as urgent as they are sobering.

From Particles to People: The Pathways of Harm

At face value, “air quality” may sound abstract. But what the Health Benefit Assessment Dashboard (launched by Climate Trends and IIT Delhi) makes clear is that air quality is health writ small, human by human.

Here’s how the invisible becomes visceral:

PM₂.₅ refers to particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers. Because of its minuscule size, it penetrates deep into the lungs, crosses into the bloodstream, triggers inflammation, oxidative stress, and disturbs multiple organ systems.

Over years of exposure, this process isn’t just local (lungs) — it can alter vascular function (raising blood pressure), impair insulin signaling (raising diabetes risk), disrupt red blood cell production (contributing to anemia), and affect fetal development (leading to low birth weight).

In children under 5, prolonged exposure damages respiratory defenses, heightens susceptibility to infections, and undermines iron status through inflammatory pathways.

Moreover, the effects are cumulative and compounding: early-life damage can predispose people to more severe disease trajectories later.

In short: long-term exposure to polluted air isn’t just a respiratory risk. It’s a multi-front assault on health.

What the Dashboard Tells Us: Numbers with Names

The real power of the dashboard lies in converting probabilities into human-scale impact. Drawing on district-level exposure and health survey data (NFHS-5), the tool simulates what might happen if PM₂.₅ were slashed by 30% across India — a target aligned with National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) ambitions.

Here are some headline projections:

For Women (ages 15–49)

Diabetes prevalence could decline from ~1.7% down to ~1.4% — a reduction in the burden of metabolic disease.

Hypertension risk could fall by 2% to 8%, depending on the state.

Cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may fall by 3% to 12%, especially in high-pollution states like Delhi, UP, Haryana.

Anaemia — often overlooked as an air-pollution outcome — could also see reductions.

These numbers may seem modest in percentage terms, but when multiplied across tens of millions of women, they represent enormous health dividends.

For Children (Under 5 Years)

Lower respiratory infections (LRIs): Cleaner air could reduce incidence significantly in high-risk districts (especially in the Indo-Gangetic plain).

Low birth weight (LBW): The chances of babies being born underweight could drop, particularly in states like Bihar, UP, Assam, Punjab, West Bengal.

Anemia in children: Less systemic inflammation and better iron metabolism could lead to improvements in anemia prevalence.

Importantly, the dashboard doesn’t treat India as a monolith. The geography matters: the highest gains are projected in the worst-polluted, most densely populated regions — exactly where vulnerability is greatest.

In some states, disease prevalence reductions approach one third. The dashboard authors even analogize it as “making the invisible visible” — turning air pollution into a public health narrative rather than an environmental abstraction.

The Human Toll: Voices Behind the Data

Numbers can quantify, but stories resonate.

Consider a pregnant mother in Patna inhaling auto emissions and coal dust for nine months — the stress, the oxidative damage, the silent restriction of oxygen and nutrient flow to her unborn child. The dashboard’s LBW projections become a personal tragedy avoided, a life trajectory altered.

Think of a toddler in Delhi, living in an inner-city slum, chasing after dust-laden winds. Each cough, each wheeze, is a micro-battle. The dashboard’s LRI statistics are not abstractions — they map to hospitalizations, days lost, fragile immune systems.

And women across states like Haryana, Punjab, Bihar may never synch their hypertension, diabetes, or anemia to “bad air.” But the dashboard says: look closer. The ambient air you breathe interacts with your body’s metabolism, oxidants, and inflammatory circuits.

Behind the dashboards are mothers, children, elders whose health is robbed slowly—sometimes invisibly—by particles in the air. The question is: will we allow that to continue?

Strengths, Innovations, and Caveats

Your project rests on several pillars of methodological innovation — and some inherent challenges:

What Makes It Strong

Granularity and scale: The district-level approach (641 districts) allows spatial resolution and helps policymakers zoom into hotspots.

Linking exposure to multiple outcomes: The dashboard integrates noncommunicable (e.g. diabetes, hypertension) and communicable / developmental (e.g. LBW, LRI, anemia) outcomes, painting a fuller picture.

Counterfactual scenario modeling: The “30% reduction scenario” anchors ambitions to realistic (though bold) air quality goals.

Public-facing dashboard: Turning modeling into a visual, interactive tool helps translate research into policy dialogue.

Points of Uncertainty / Limitations

Causality vs association: While epidemiological evidence supports strong links, modeling can’t fully remove residual confounding or reverse causation.

Uniform reduction assumption: The scenario assumes a uniform 30% cut in PM₂.₅ across diverse geographies — in reality, some districts might find it easier than others.

Exposure assignment error: Satellite-derived PM₂.₅ interpolations, assumptions about indoor / outdoor mix, and mobility of individuals can introduce exposure misclassification.

Nonlinear and threshold effects: Health impacts may not scale linearly with concentration changes; some benefits may accrue disproportionately at lower ranges.

Interaction with socioeconomic and behavioral variables: Nutrition, healthcare access, indoor pollution, smoking, and other co-factors may mediate or moderate the associations.

Despite these caveats, the dashboard is a powerful heuristic — a tool to shift thinking and spark action.

Policy Implications: Moving From Data to Justice

If air quality is health, then air policy is health policy. Here are vectors of urgency:

Align air quality targets with public health metrics. NCAP and state-level clean air plans should explicitly adopt health outcomes (e.g. reductions in hypertension, LRI) as metrics — not just “µg/m³”.

Target the worst offenders. States and districts projected to yield largest health gains should be prioritized (e.g. parts of UP, Bihar, Delhi, Haryana).

Sectoral interventions with health lens. Because different sources (transport, industry, domestic, biomass burning) contribute differently, targeting the most toxic species and sectors (as some component-level research suggests) can maximize gains.

Complement with health and nutrition programs. Cleaner air amplifies benefits of maternal-child health, iron supplementation, vaccinations, neonatal care.

Community awareness and empowerment. If women, mothers, local health workers understand that “bad air = more anemia or LBW risk,” they can demand cleaner neighborhoods, stricter enforcement, behavioral mitigation (e.g. air filtration).

Monitoring, evaluation, iteration. The dashboard itself can evolve — integrate newer survey rounds, refine exposure models, and track progress over time.

The goal: shift air quality from being treated as an environmental afterthought to a core pillar of public health strategy.

Into the Future: Breathing Hope

Imagine ten years from now: districts once choked by dust and smog record measurable drops in hypertension among women. Neonatal wards see fewer underweight infants. Rural communities, once burdened by childhood pneumonia, begin to register fewer cases. Lives extend, health improves — thanks not only to hospitals and medicine, but to cleaner skies.

This is not a utopian dream. The dashboard shows that with a “mere” 30% cut in PM₂.₅ — a feasible ambition — much of this is within reach for India.

But it requires a shift: from treating air pollution as a nuisance or a climate adjunct, to seeing it as a core determinant of health inequality. From fragmented policy to integrated health-environment strategy. From invisible harms to visible accountability.

Your work — making the invisible visible — is precisely the kind of bridge needed to jolt policy, public will, and scientific discourse. Let the data breathe life into change.