Busy days for the printing and advertising businesses in Davao City are up, especially as the campaign period for the local elections is fast approaching. (Medel V. Hernani/davaotoday.com)
By Noveah May Simbajon and Aimee Gito, Davao Today Interns
DAVAO CITY — The May Presidential and local elections are fast approaching. From TV advertisements, radio station jingles, posters, tarpaulins, and other campaign paraphernalia are now more widely circulated to gain popularity and woo the public’s votes.
The industry producing these materials used in the information and promotions campaign are in their heydays now. One of them is the printing industry, catering to different print ads of politicians.
Tight competition
Ivy Naces, a cashier from Print Republic said the store offers a discounted rate of P6 per square foot for tarpaulin printing, a slice of more than half of its regular price of P15.
The discounted offer is intended to attract more printing jobs from political candidates as she said that the store could easily offset the price slash with the volume of printing jobs they could get during the election campaign.
She said that the lowering of price in campaign related tarpaulins is part of their promotion “because we already have a lot of competitors and it comes with a minimum number of orders starting from 1,000 pieces”.
Printing businesses are just one of the many business establishments that directly benefits this kind of demand in such materials and at this point in time, they are already receiving inquiries and orders, but still doesn’t count in to be called as ‘high in demand’.
“Sa karon wala pa kaayo, pero naa nay ga-inquire. Inquire pa lang sila kung tagpila, moabot daw og 5,000 pieces ang order pero inquire pa lang na,” (As of now, there are a few who inquires saying they might order up to 5,000 pieces) Jenie Divina from DCM Tarp said.
Some printing establishments have already printed minimal pieces of campaign materials, most of which come from dedicated supporters who are willing to help in campaigning for their presidential bets.
“Karon naa mi giprint mga individual orders para kay Duterte, mga supporters niya nagapaprint,” (we are printing individual orders for (PDP-Laban standard bearer Rodrigo Duterte) paid by his supporters) she said.
Bulk orders on March
As for Print Republic, the estimated orders they get reach around 10,000 pieces but “those kinds of orders are not yet consistent since it is not yet time for the local district representatives and officials to campaign”.
“One week lang na siya, isa lang na siya ka order. Sa ano kasi poltiko, iba-iba sila tapos pag mag order sila tag 1000 every week, tapos another napod,” (For one week, that is one order. Politicians order 1,000 pieces weekly and then another for the following week.) Naces said.
In this kind of situation that the printing businesses are in, most of them have the same expectation that it will be on the month of March that they will begin receiving bulk of orders from simple leaflets to tarpaulins and campaign shirts.
“Murag mas mobuylo pag sa local kaysa sa presidential campaign,” (I think orders are usually high during local than presidential campaign) Renante Laos from DCM Tarp said with great expectation.
As printing businesses and establishments have the same outlook, there is much hope on their side that they will be able to cater much more than what they had from the previous elections in terms of the demand of materials they can produce.
Employees themselves can prove that at times when an election is fast approaching; it creates a big difference in their sales compared on a regular selling day which is also overwhelming on their part even if they need to exert a little sacrifice.
“Layo jud siya og biya compared sa regular days lang, modako jud ang sales pag ting election, motaas og mga 70 percent,” (the sales are far different from regular days compared during election, it can increase up to 70 percent) Divina insisted.
Workers’ hope
For some workers, it may sound burdensome, but there may be significant impact to their lives and to the owners “for this will enable us to gain and reach out more through their services.”
“Mas nakatabang siyag maayo kaning election karon kay makatabang pod mi sa among amo, medyo dako-dako ang kita, modaghan among trabahuon, overtime napod,” (election has great help to us, and to the owner, proceeds are higher, more work and overtime is expected) Naces said.
Campaign period seems to turn out as a blessing on the printing businesses’ part as they open doors for promotion of people who are vying to earn a position in this country that earnestly cries for a sincere improvement.
As the campaign period continues, it paves way to a bigger chance of elevating businesses of different kinds and pushes them to be dedicated of their services not just to politicians.
But workers in the business would hope that the blessings the pour on the businesses during the campaign period may also go beyond to their winning and uplift the country’s situation.(davaotoday.com)
