Three micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Baguio City are set for technological assistance and interventions to improve their productivity through the Department of Science and Technology’s Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (Setup).
DOST Cordillera Director Nancy Bantog and DOST Baguio-Benguet Provincial S&T Center Director Sheila Marie Claver signed a memorandum of agreement last week with the proprietors of Makk Builders, GQB Apparels and Chokko’s Bakeshop, the first three Setup beneficiaries this year.
Chokko’s Bakeshop owner Gyle Dominguez said they have been in the business for five years now and their market have been expanding from Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet to other provinces such as La Union, Nueva Vizcaya, and Ifugao.
With the DOST intervention, Dominguez hopes to improve their production efficiency and the quality of our products.
The GQB Apparels has been in business since 2012 with baby carriers and personal protective equipment as their products. Owner Jonalyn Gayaso said with the assistance of DOST, they will purchase new sewing machines to increase their production and enhance their product quality.
For Makk Builder, which is engaged in hollow block production, proprietor Angel Piluden said they will be shifting from manual production to mechanized operations with the Setup project which will greatly help in product enhancement and diversification.
DOST-CAR will provide a total of P3.2 million worth of assistance for equipment upgrading, technical training, and product development for the three MSMEs.
Setup cooperators will return the seed fund within three to five years depending on their repayment capacity without interest and after a one-year leeway or operations after project implementation.
DOST’s Setup is a nationwide strategy encouraging and assisting MSMEs to adopt technological innovations to improve their products services and operations to increase productivity and competitiveness and develop new products and establish or sustain market niches
Bantog praised the Baguio-Benguet PSTC for being the first to roll out the Setup program to MSME beneficiaries for 2021 and the new Setup cooperators for their perseverance to improve their operations and productivity amid the Covid-19 pandemic. – Carlito C. Dar
April 19, 2024
