FOOD PROCESSORS AVAIL FREE PACKAGING CONSULTATION

 In response to the challenge of the ASEAN Economic Integration, DTI – Davao del Norte Field Office conducted a free packaging seminar and consultation for the province’s food processors on May 23, 2016 at Heroben Hometel, Tagum City.

MSME - participants got their pick of various packaging materials during the product presentation of suppliers.

The lack of proper packaging and labeling had always been one of the pressing concerns faced by most MSMEs in the province. This is attributed mostly to the lack of access to suppliers of affordable packaging materials. 

Likewise, the minimum volume requirement and the freight cost (particularly for those who source their packaging from Metro Manila), hinder start-ups and emerging entrepreneurs from competing with products of other ASEAN countries in terms of aesthetics. This also prevents them from penetrating mainstream markets.

MSME - participants got their pick of various packaging materials during the product presentation of suppliers.

With this activity, DTI aims to inculcate among the MSMEs the importance of a proper package and label to the product’s image and branding. The session also provided a venue for the MSMEs to meet with local suppliers of packaging materials and participate in a one-on-one consultation with them.

More than 40 food processors from all over the province benefitted from the consultation. Most of them are emerging entrepreneurs who are on the process of introducing their products, while some already have established markets and are just looking for cheaper alternatives to their current packaging materials.

Mr. Arnel Rodriguez of DOST-XI discussed the importance of packaging.

Mr. Arnel Rodriguez, Senior Research and Development Specialist of the Department of Science and Technology – Regional Office XI also shared his expertise on food packaging and labeling to the participants. Among the topics he discussed were the importance of packaging, the advantages and disadvantages of various types of food packaging materials from aluminum cans to pet bottles and the basic requirements for food labels prescribed by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA).

Samples of "generic" packaging materials offered to MSMEs.

“Having the proper packaging and label for your product gives you an edge over your competitors because consumers will most likely buy your products based on how it looks, not so much on how it tastes.”, Maria Victoria D. Adriatico, DTI – DavNor’s Supervising Trade and Industry Specialist for SME Development Services  told the participants.

Samples of "generic" packaging materials offered to MSMEs.

DTI-Davao del Norte has been regularly conducting free product development activities for the food and non-food sectors in the province as part of its effort to increase competitiveness of local products and aligning them with global standards. It is set to conduct a Labeling Consultancy Caravan during the second half of this year which will be geared towards start-up entrepreneurs around Davao del Norte.

DAVNOR SMEs IMPROVED PRODUCTION UNDER DTI’S SSF

A significant improvement in the production output of Shared Service Facility (SSF) beneficiaries from Davao del Norte was noted during a visit conducted by the team from Department of Trade and Industry on April 26, 2016.

Shared Service Facilities (SSF) is a program of the Department of Trade and Industry which is designed to eliminate bottlenecks in the production process of MSMEs by providing necessary equipment and machineries. This will speed up the production process which in turn enable them to meet existing market demands.

DTI Team who visited the SSF beneficiaries in Davao del Norte on April 26, 2016 headed by Assistant Secretary for Regional Operations Blesilda Lantayona (3rd from left).

The visit was part of the three-day DTI Services Caravan dubbed as “DTI Negosyo, Konsyumer at Iba Pa”. The Davao leg of the caravan was held at SM Lanang, in Davao City on April 25-27, 2016. The visiting DTI team was headed by DTI Assistant Secretary for Regional Operations Blesila A. Lantayona and consists of DTI regional directors and representatives from DTI attached agencies such as the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) and Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM).

Four SSF’s were visited including famed cacao products exporter Chokolate de San Isidro (CSI), banana powder producer AMS Employees Fresh Fruit Producers Cooperative (AMSEFFPCO) in Kapalong, the Engineered Bamboo Processing Center in Tagum National Trade School, and the vermi-composting facility of Rehoboth in Panabo City. These organizations reported an improvement in their operations due to the shift from the labor-intensive to machine-enabled production process.

Women from San Isidro takes pride in the global success of Sikwate! by CSI which in turn gives them and their husbands a sustainable source of income.

The cacao processing equipments turned over by DTI to CSI helped the organization to attain quality standards in their Sikwate “tableya”, a local name for round flat tablets made from ground cacao beans. Aside from being used in hot chocolate drinks, their “tableya” has also become in demand with restaurants and bakeshops around the Philippines as a main ingredient to chocolate-based pastries and dishes. CSI also exports to Japan, Europe and Australia.

These MSMEs also disclosed an increase in gross sales due to the increased production volume. More importantly, they were able to penetrate new markets and employ more people from their area.

DTI-Davao del Norte Provincial Director evaluates AMSEFFPCO's feed-grade banana powder processed through the granulator provided by DTI under its SSF program.

“Banana off-grade from the farms of our members used to just rot in the corner. Now, we are producing an average 10 tons of feed-grade banana powder every month thanks to the granulator provided by DTI under its Shared Service Facility Program.”, said Rizalie Calma, AMSEFFPCO’s Project Manager. 

They are currently selling their produce to big feed mill companies in the country. The coop was able to generate more than one million pesos of income last 2015. “We are now providing livelihood not just for our members but for the whole community”, she added.

A total of 25 trade associations and cooperatives from Davao del Norte have already benefited from DTI’s SSF Program since it was launched last 2013. The agency is set to launch this year its last batch of Shared Service Facilities. (DTI-DN Info Unit)

DAVNOR CONSUMER ORGS STRENGTHENED

In recognition of the need to foster consumer welfare and protection by ensuring and protecting consumer rights, the Department of Trade and Industry  - Davao del Norte Provincial Office recently took the forefront in the move to strengthen consumer organizations in the province.

Eyed as a vehicle in championing consumer protection and empowerment, these consumer organizations are composed of leaders from different civil organizations, sectoral associations, local government representatives and the public in general. Its primary advocacy is to push for the creation of local policies that would benefit the consuming public. It also plays an important role in the implementation of various consumer-related laws such as the Consumer Act and Price Act aside from serving as a venue to better promote and disseminate information on consumer privileges and responsibilities.

The officers and members of Konsumo Tagum, Inc. posed with DTI-Davao del Norte staff during the opening program of the Consumer Month Celebration.

Several consumer empowerment activities had already been conducted by DTI  this year particularly in the cities of IGaCoS and Tagum, in partnership with consumer organizations, namely: the IGaCoS Consumer Association (ICA) and Konsumo Tagum, which benefited 670 consumers composed of students, teachers, and barangay officials.

The officers of IGaCoS Consumers Association during their annual assembly last March 2015.

The Barangay Advocate for Consumer Education and Empowerment (B-ACE) is among the activities conducted in partnership with the consumer organizations. This program had been implemented since 2012 and had since then helped educate and empower consumers in far flung barangays.

"We wanted to educate consumers in the barangay level because we believe that those who attended our lectures can pass the information to their neighbors, relatives and friends who will in turn educate other people. This will enable them to become more involved and to make informed social and environmental choices.”, DTI-Davao del Norte Consumer Protection Services Division Chief Atty. Zerline T. Balleque said.

She also added that the agency has also conducted several consumer education lectures in various private and public highschools in the province in partnership with these consumer organizations.

A member of the IGaCoS Consumer Association (ICA) conducted a lecture on consumer rights to the highschool students of Island Garden City of Samal.

Another initiative that the provincial office conducted in partnership with consumer organizations is the Diskwento Caravan, a public service activity of DTI which gathers medium to large retail institutions to conduct a discount sales mission in various municipalities. This is to provide opportunities to consumers in distant areas to access high quality goods at a discounted price. Members and officers of the consumer organization often serves as a harbinger in notifying the public for any diskwento caravans that will be conducted in their area.

DTI - Davao del Norte is slated to conduct more consumer empowerment activities such as those mentioned above especially for the month of October which is dubbed as “Consumer Welfare Month”. All of these will also be in collaboration with consumer organizations.

The agency targets to form more consumer organizations in the province for this year and the next.

"It is our aim to have consumer organizations in the 11 municipalities of Davao del Norte." Romeo L. Castañaga, Officer in Charge of DTI-Davao del Norte revealed.

"We in the DTI believe that by letting the public become more involved, they themselves become advocates of educating and empowering their fellow consumers." Castañaga added.