The Department of Trade and Industry Bulacan Provincial office convened its first Provincial Business Sector and Stakeholders Partners’ through virtual meeting. The meeting which recently held was attended by forty-three (43) participants from the business and stakeholders sectors comprising of the national government agencies ( NGAs), non-government organizations (NGOs), the Provincial Government represented by the Provincial Cooperative Enterprise Development (PCEDO), academe, industry and other relevant business associations, was aimed at presenting the programs and services of the government available for MSMEs as well as creating a venue to solicit inputs from the business community on how their business operations were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The information provided will serve as vital inputs for decision making to aid various stakeholders and the national government on to deal with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the local economy.
Provincial Director Edna D. Dizon conveyed her sincerest gratitude to the stakeholders for their steadfast support to the programs and projects of DTI. She also stressed to the business community that the government will continue to find ways on how to make the economy back to its normalcy, with its programs on recovery and rehabilitation efforts. Synchronization, complementation and convergence are key to make all recovery efforts work for the economy.
The topics discussed include DTI updates on MSME Development programs, Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Bulacan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), Provincial Cooperative and Enterprise Development Office’s (PCEDO) programs and services, Bulacan State University (BulSU) updates on Regional Inclusive Innovation Center Program Launch (RIIC)- Technological Hive of Regional Innovation for a Vibrant Ecosystem (THRIVE) Central Luzon, and BPI on Business Banking.
An open forum was also facilitated by the DTI where everyone was provided the opportunity to raise concerns and issues relative to their operations and how they think government can help them. THe participants attended the said meeting were representatives from the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Bulacan Hardware Association (BHAI), Bulacan Association of Resort owners (BARO), Tanners Association of the Philippines (TAP), Bulacan Farm Tourism Association (BFTA), K3 Corporation, Bulacan Micro Small and Medium Enterprise Association (BSMEA), Good Neighbors International, Philippine Pyrotechnics Manufacturers and Dealers Association Inc. (PPMDAI).
After the meeting, all present government agencies and other stakeholders committed and vowed to do everything they can to bring into normalcy the economy of the province.
Launches SSF Project in Doña Remedios Trinidad
DTI Bulacan also launched Shared Service Facility (SSF) on Cacao processing for Talbak Fruits and Vegetable Growers Inc. in Barangay Talbak, in Dona Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan.
The SSF project aims to enhance the competitiveness of the association by providing them with machinery, equipment, tools, systems, skills, and knowledge under a shared system, that would address the gaps and bottlenecks in the value chain of Cacao as one of the priority industry clusters, particularly the lack of the needed processing facility.
The launching was witnessed by TFGG President Rodrigo G. Aquino Jr., together with the members of the association.
According to DTI Bulacan director Dizon, this has been the 31st SSF project in the entire province that they have launched since 2013 and there is a remaining project that is scheduled to be launched this year.
“The project would enable the cooperator to continuously meet the demand of processed cacao. As well as create another viable livelihood opportunity for the cacao growers in DRT. Through the use of this equipment, production cost will be reduced that could result in more affordable cacao products and create new products that can meet to meet the market requirements,” said Dizon.
Among the tools and equipment provided are the following: one-unit Mechanical Solar Dryer, Cacao Cracker and Winnower, Cacao Melanger (Wet Grinder), Cacao Moisture Meter, Digital Industrial Platform Weighing Scale, and 2 units Stainless Working Table amounting to Php 230,000.00.
The project is expected to increase the volume of production and improved the quality of the existing products of the beneficiaries. The co-operator is also expected to increase its sales, generate investment, and create additional jobs for the members of the organization in DRT, Bulacan. The SSF project is a DTI initiative wherein the agency provides machinery, equipment, training, among others, that will be used communally by the beneficiaries. It is aimed at addressing the infrastructure gap, as well as support MSMEs to improve their production capacity and penetrate the global supply chain.