PFIF, CFIP hosts 5 th ASEAN Youth Furniture Exchange in Clark, Pampanga
Clark, Pampanga – Pampanga Furniture Industries Foundation (PFIF), in collaboration with the Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines (CFIP), hosted the 5 th ASEAN Youth Furniture Exchange in Clark, Pampanga on October 20-23, 2019.
The event, fondly known as simply ‘AYFE’ by its participants, is an annual event initiated by the ASEAN Furniture Industries Council (AFIC)—a regional trade organization that promotes the ASEAN furniture industry. AYFE brings together the next generation leaders of multi million furniture corporations in the ASEAN region with the primary aim to strengthen the youth chapter of the ASEAN furniture industry as it is passed on to generations and to build an intra-ASEAN business network among furniture entrepreneurs to capitalize on the region’s growing furniture industry. During the event, participants get a chance to network amongst their ASEAN peers in the industry through a series of talks, one-on-one business matching and team breakout activities.
Now in its 5 th year, AYFE was hosted by the Philippines for the first time, and was held in Clark, Pampanga. Following the success of the previous AYFE held in Singapore which tackled innovation, design, and technology, the Philippine youth volunteers, headed by Ms. Kristinne Mallari and Ms. Ruwayna Alqaseer – del Rosario, have chosen the theme "Hand in hand towards a Sustainable Future" to highlight and pay homage to the Filipino culture of ‘bayanihan’. With this theme, the Philippine youth volunteers were able to demonstrate to our ASEAN neighbors how closer collaboration amongst each other can lead to growth opportunities in the region as it is expected to be the 4 th largest economy in the world by 2030.
The event, attended by 48 participants, was held in several locations in Clark--Central Luzon’s up and coming metropolis. Representatives from six ASEAN countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Philippines were welcomed by Mr. Jose Bituin and Mrs. Myrna Bituin—directors of PhilExport Region III—through a welcome dinner at the Betis Crafts, Inc. showroom.
Forum on sustainability and succession of the ASEAN furniture industry
During the first day of the forum, design thinking, succession plan, and overall furniture trend analysis were the general themes discussed. It is notable, however, that the discourse also revolved around relevant and pressing concerns both in the labor and environmental sector.
Featured speakers at the forum included Ms. Ruwayna Alqaseer-Del Rosario, founder of Arksmith Inc. and Philippine youth leader, who presented the talk on “Formula of a Startup Furniture Company”. It was then followed by Ms. Chiqui Veneracion, Managing Director of Twentynine:Eleven and Country Officer of Maison & Objet Paris, on “Continuing the Legacy” which touched on how a second-generation member of a furniture family enterprise can be transformed into a world-class company. Founder and CEO of D. New Agency was also present at the event as he shared with the participants how design thinking can be applied in crafting sustainable solutions in the furniture industry. Finally, closing the forum was Mr. Randy Viray of Vivere Lifestyles Inc and Triboa Bay Living, who talked about the “Business of Design”.
The forum ended on a high note with the team breakout activity which allowed the participants to work closely with their pre-assigned group in presenting a solution on how sustainability in the ASEAN furniture industry can be tackled in terms of production and design, retail and consumption. The activity challenged each group’s creativity, resourcefulness and teamwork.
Outdoor team building activities and closing festivities
On the second day, participants enjoyed a jeepney ride to the Clark Bicentennial Park, the venue for the outdoor team building activities. These activities were specifically designed to loosen up the stiff atmosphere of competition, and instead promote a sense of camaraderie and accountability among the delegates.
Facilitated by the directors of PFIF, participants were divided into five color groups and were challenged to 12 activity stations centered on testing teamwork and strategy. In the end, the Green Team emerged victorious as they successfully completed all stations and gathered the greatest number of points.
As the day came to a close, participants were driven to Subic where they were treated to a sunset yacht cruise to officially close AYFE 2019 in the Philippines.
In the end, AYFE and Singapore Furniture Industries Council Youth Chapter Chairman Mr. Jake Tan expressed his gratitude towards the Philippine youth volunteers for successfully organizing and “raising the bar” for the organization of AYFE. Ms. Duyen Tran, AYFE country head for Vietnam, echoed this sentiment by saying that AYFE Clark Philippines has been “the most professionally organized” AYFE to date.
The need for the Philippine Furniture industry youth chapter
The organization of AYFE in the Philippines is a major step towards the development of a succession plan for the Pampanga furniture industry. PFIF recognizes the need to establish a youth chapter comprised of second echelon generation leaders of the furniture industry not only in the province but the Philippines as a whole. These young individuals are expected to sustain the Philippine furniture industry’s growth and relevance in the global market as the demographic landscape changes over time. As one of the key contributors of the industry in the country, PFIF is at the forefront of this move.
AYFE is a major program of the ASEAN Furniture Industries Council (AFIC), a regional non-profit trade organization established in 1987 that promotes the interests of the ASEAN furniture industry. Philippines was chosen as chair of the organization for the years 2019-2020 and is currently headed by Chairman Mr. Emmanuel Padiernos.
