Cebu-GTH president Ramir Bonghanoy said Cebu is one of the areas in the country that uses shells as major material for export products.
He said Zubiri's recommendation will hurt the export industry, which is still recovering from the global economic downturn.
"Shells are the only materials that we have competitive advantage over our competitors," said Bonghanoy, the owner of Bon Ace Fashion Tools.
He said majority of Cebu GTH members use shells, particularly mother of pearls, in making products for export.
Cebu GTH has 106 members. Bonghanoy said the proposed ban on shell exports may also disrupt the supply and value chains of the sector and displace a large number of skilled workers. "The government should realize that the ban would affect skilled workers. Shell craftsmanship, in most cases, is an acquired skill. This is a kind handed from generation to generation," he said.
"The ban would affect those who are doing legitimate businesses. We are asking that business should be maintained as usual since we are abiding by regulations since time immemorial," he said.
In a position paper, members of the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) Cebu said "the total ban on the export of shells, corals and other shell products would simply do more harm than good as a total ban would be too sweeping an options to take as it will result in a major economic loss in the form of export revenues as well as the loss of vital livelihood for the poorer sector of our society."
Aside from intensifying police power to ensure the country's natural resources will not be exploited, Philexport Cebu is also asking for the establishment of a database of endangered species and glossary of scientific terms, preferably in the vernacular, as reference for operatives and stakeholders.
They also called for the setting of standards for harvesting of sea shells, corals and marine life and a total ban on the exportation of raw shells with no value added.
The group is also asking all shell and shellcraft exporters to be involved in replenishment and sustainability programs for varieties used for the their products.
According to Philexport Cebu, Cebu has been exporting an average of 25 tons of shells and shellcrafts per day in the last three to four years.
This translates to an annual income of P37 million, which offers livelihood and business opportunities to a numb er of fishermen, shell dealers and shellcraft manufacturers.
Major markets for shells and shellcraft include USA, Hong Kong, Korea, China UK, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands and Spain. (PNA)
DCT/LAM/EB/bh
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Exporters seek gov't help for shell propagation plan
By Katlene O. Cacho
Thursday, January 20, 2011
THE creative export industry of Cebu is seeking government support for a program on shell propagation to ensure sustainability of shells, an important raw material for export products.
Cebu Gift, Toys and House ware (GTH) Foundation Inc. president Ramir Bonghanoy told reporters they are planning to come up with a shell farming program that would help ensure sustainability of shells.
The program will be implemented in collaboration with government agencies like the Department of Agriculture and its attached agency, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
He said the program will also be supported by the Cebu-Fashion Accessories Manufacturers and Exporters (Fame).
"The program is still in the drawing board. The organization will still have to meet with these agencies but we are hoping to have this program implemented within the year," Bonghanoy said.
He said they will also talk with concerned agencies on where they can hold shell farming. He identified the small islets in Lapu-Lapu City or the coastlines of Cebu as potential areas for it.
Bonghanoy, the owner of Bon Ace Fashion Tools, said sustainability of shells is important as this is one of the raw materials used when making clutches, belts and fashion accessories like necklace, earrings and bangles as well as home furnishings like lamps and vases.
He reported that the industry's requirement for shell may reach 10 to 12 tons a month. The GTH sector is said to be one of the biggest users of shell, with a requirement of 100 kilos a month per exporter. Cebu GTH has about 100 active members.
Bonghanoy said the industry gets its shells from Samar, Negros, Palawan, Zamboanga and Davao.
"The shell farming program is similar to the tree planting that the creative industries are advocating. We need to ensure the sustainability of these raw materials for the continued existence of the industry," he said.
Bonghanoy said the advocacy is not just about sustainability but also their way to replenish materials they have "borrowed from nature."
Among the kinds of shells they plan to culture is the gold lip or yellow mother of pearl, which Bonghanoy said is easier to culture in just three to six months.
He also mentioned troca shells, which are now endangered as traders export this raw material to other countries.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on January 21, 2011.
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Shells ban to sink industry: group
By Katlene O. Cacho
Monday, June 20, 2011
MEMBERS of the Cebu Gift, Toys and Housewares Foundation Inc (Cebu-GTH) warned that the total ban on exportation of shells, corals and shell products proposed by Sen. Jose Miguel Zubiri would greatly damage the creative sector and lead to job losses and business closures.
Cebu GTH president Ramir Bonghanoy said during the group's general membership meeting last Friday that Cebu is one of the areas in the country that uses shells as major material for export products.
He said Zubiri's recommendation will hurt the export industry, which is still recovering from the global economic downturn.
"Shells are the only materials that we have competitive advantage over our competitors," said Bonghanoy, the owner of Bon Ace Fashion Tools.
He said majority of Cebu GTH members use shells, particularly mother of pearls, in making products for export. Cebu GTH has 106 members.
Bonghanoy said the proposed ban on shell exports may also disrupt the supply and value
chains of the sector and displace a large number of skilled workers.
"The government should realize that the ban would affect skilled workers. Shell craftsmanship, in most cases, is an acquired skill. This is a kind handed from generation to generation," he said.
Bonghanoy said a GTH member can use an average of one ton of shells a month.
"The ban would affect those who are doing legitimate businesses. We are asking that business should be maintained as usual since we are abiding by regulations since time immemorial," he said.
In a position paper, members of the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) Cebu said "the total ban on the export of shells, corals and other shell products would simply do more harm than good as a total ban would be too sweeping an option to take as it will result in a major economic loss in the form of export revenues as well as the loss of vital livelihood for the poorer sector of our society."
Aside from intensifying police power to ensure the country's natural resources will not be exploited, Philexport Cebu is also asking for the establishment of a database of endangered species and glossary of scientific terms, preferably in the vernacular, as reference for operatives and stakeholders.
They also called for the setting of standards for harvesting of sea shells, corals and marine life and a total ban on the exportation of raw shells with no value added.
The group is also asking all shell and shellcraft exporters to be involved in replenishment and sustainability programs for varieties used for their products.
According to Philexport Cebu, Cebu has been exporting an average of 25 tons of shells and shellcrafts per day in the last three to four years. The group said this translates to an annual income of P37 million, which offers livelihood and business opportunities to a number of fishermen, shell dealers and shellcraft manufacturers.
Major markets for shells and shellcraft include USA, Hong Kong, Korea, China, UK, Italy, Poland, the Netherland and Spain.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on June 21, 2011.
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Cebu GTH exporters project 5-7% sales increase in 2011
CEBU CITY, Cebu, Philippines – In a move to help sustain the supply of seashells as raw materials or home furnishing and accessories, two export organizations here are set to embark on a “seashell farming project” around small islets in Cebu and other neighboring provinces.
The Gifts Toys and Housewares Foundation Inc. in Cebu (Cebu-GTH), along with the Fashion Accessories Manufacturers and Exporters (FAME) will establish partnership with such government agencies as the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to help realize the program within the year.
According to Cebu-GTH President Ramir Bonghanoy, the demand for shell-based home furnishing items, including fashion accessories, remains very strong especially among such clients in foreign markets as the United States and Europe.
“While we see bullishness in shell-based products, we also realize the need to help sustain the production of seashells because given that it is part of marine life, its supply may be endangered if we do not nurture them,” said Bonghanoy in an interview recently.
The different kinds of seashells that are used for raw materials include Mother of Pearl and Trocas.
Those, and other varieties are used in manufacturing different products including furnishings, accessories, and handbags, to name a few.
Mother of Pearl shell comes in various species which are commonly used as raw materials by exporters. These include Gold Lip, Yellow Lip, Black Lip, Brown Lip, and Black Tab.
“Culturing these shells is part of our advocacy to also help the illegal export of raw shells since this will adversely affect the industry,” Bonghanoy said.
He added that both export groups have already been informally talking about the details of the project and will soon make a proposal on the matter to pertinent local government units and government agencies.
Initially, Cebu-GTH had identified certain islets in Cebu province and in coastal areas in Samar, Bohol, Negros, and Palawan as conducive sites for shell farming.
Aside from the rising demand of shell raw materials, exporters are also facing competition with the ongoing export of raw shells or unprocessed shells to China.
Conservatively, Cebu's export industry requires an average estimate of 10 to 12 tons of raw sea shells on a monthly basis. More, actually, are needed for the recovering fashion and home accessories markets.
In Cebu, Bonghanoy said there are about 60 large export companies which are major users of seashells.
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Exporters to spearhead shell farming
By MALOU M. MOZO
January 25, 2011, 5:53pm
Cebu GTH exporters project 5-7% sales increase in 2011
By Katlene O. Cacho
Friday, January 7, 2011
THE Cebu Gift, Toys and Houseware (GTH) sector expects to report a five to seven percent increase in export sales this year, amid challenges in the industry.
Cebu GTH Foundation Inc. president Ramir Bonghanoy described the projected growth this year as “a little better than the usual” based on the industry’s performance last year.“The United States (US) market has shown positive signs of growth last year that led to increased imports from the Cebu GTH members,” Bonghanoy said.However, he said while it is true the US market has started to look for new products and innovations, there is still no assurance that these will translate into sales.
“Cautious optimism is the pervading mood for the exporters of shells, wickerwork and lightings in Cebu,” he said.The industry noted that for the past three years, these segments of the industry have remained generally stable in their rankings, in terms of exports to the European market.Bonghanoy noted that in 2007 to 2009, the country’s shell products consistently ranked third, after Turkey and China. Wickerwork, on the other hand, ranked fifth, after China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Madagascar. Lighting fixtures ranked 11th. Overtaken Bonghanoy, however, noted that wickerwork ranked fourth in 2007 and 2008, but was overtaken by Madagascar in 2009. For the export industry to thrive, Bonghanoy said the government should implement programs that support growth and increase competitiveness against other Asian countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. “Vietnam still continues to be a strong competitor, for their government is supporting and rallying behind them,” he said.
In the three-year export development roadmap, the Export Development Council had targeted 13 percent growth each year.Philippine Exporters’ Confederation Inc. Cebu executive director Fred Escalona, meanwhile, said the export industry of Cebu might enjoy full recovery beginning the second or third quarter this year.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on January 08, 2011.
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