CLOSE to 100 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) including food firms are joining the first Camanava Business Conference and Expo, to be held this Sept. 3 and 4 at the Navotas Convention Center.
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Navotas chapter and the Navotas city government are the event hosts.
With the theme “Reigniting Businesses: Camanava on the Lead,” the two-day affair seeks to strengthen business collaboration, promote knowledge-sharing, industry development, and economic opportunities across the four cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela. The four local government units (LGUs) are collectively known as Camanava.
The conference is expected to draw more than 500 delegates, including business owners, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, professionals, industry leaders, and government representatives.
Featured speakers are business and motivational speakers Francis Kong and Chinkee Tan on Sept. 3 and 4, respectively.
Educator and entrepreneur Carl Balita, business owner and Kangkong King founder Francis Gaw, and communications and personal branding specialist Rey Pineda will also discuss entrepreneurship, leadership, business development, and emerging industry trends.
The manufacturing, producing, and processing expo will showcase products, services, technologies, and industry capabilities.
The conference held a media launch Aug. 19 attended by Navotas City Mayor John Rey Tiangco, conference chairman Charlie Policarpio, PCCI NCR secretary general Helen Lising, and representatives of the PCCI chambers in Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela.
“We have cold-chain facilities where most of the produce from different provinces are stored, not just seafood, but all the food products — chicken, beef, pork, vegetables,” said Tiangco.
“But one disadvantage is we don’t have much land. Malabon, Caloocan, and Valenzuela still have available land for businesses to grow. The event presents opportunities to connect Camanava with other cities,” added Tiangco.
“The challenge for most MSMEs is trade promotions — how can they bring their products to the market,” said Lising.
“At the expo, each LGU — Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela — will have its own pavilion showcasing its own products. The aim is to connect the businesses to as many people as possible. We expect visitors from other cities in the National Capital Region, as well as government agencies like the Department of Trade and Industry, which can connect these products to the market. So, this will be a business matching and networking activity,” Lising pointed out.
“Instead of importing, we want to encourage everyone to start manufacturing here,” said Policarpio. “It’s hard, but it has potential. Because Filipinos need more jobs. Asia is getting into manufacturing. The Western countries now don’t have manufacturing. It’s moving towards Asean. And we hope to get a slice of the pie in manufacturing so we can improve the economy.”
Navotas Fish Port Complex
A short distance from the event’s venue is the Navotas Fish Port Complex (NFPC), the largest in the country and one of the biggest in Asia, which is undergoing a multiyear master rehabilitation project to fully modernize and expand the 50-year-old facility.
The Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA), which manages the NFPC, has approved P1.6 billion for its upgrading, along with the construction of a modern fish port in San Vicente, Palawan.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., who also chairs the PFDA Board, said the NFPC modernization project can turn the port into a future trading hub, not only for fish but for agricultural commodities as well.
“If producers from places like Lubang (Occidental Mindoro) can bring their products directly to Navotas instead of passing through other trading centers, we can shorten the supply chain, reduce logistics costs, and improve returns for producers,” he said. “We already have the buyers here.”
The project includes the upgrading of PFDA-NFPC Market Halls 3 to 7, improvements to road networks and parking facilities, and the construction of a welcome center.
Part of the rehabilitation is the upgrading of buildings and facilities at Market Halls 1 and 2 under Phase 3 of the PFDA-NFPC Modernization Program, as well as Phase 2 of the PFDA-NFPC Shipyard Development Project.
Tiu Laurel noted that expansion opportunities remain available in the northern and northeastern portions of the complex, while the planned shipyard is expected to help decongest operations and improve support services for fishing vessels.
He also directed project proponents to target the inauguration of the upgraded market halls by January 2027, and proposed the future development of a dedicated agricultural trading area within the complex.
PFDA Acting General Manager Glen Pangapalan said the upgrades will benefit more stakeholders.
“Millions more from Metro Manila alone benefit from the reliable supply of fresh fish from this 50-year-old fish port,” he said.
At least 30,000 workers also directly benefit from the operations of PFDA-NFPC, which increases to about 50,000 during peak fishing season.
