Skip to main content

Chemfree Foods hails as Best SETUP Adoptor in Region 1

Image
By
 Engr. Ernesto M. De Padua, owner/manager of Chemfree Foods, receives his awards from DOST Secretary Mario G. Montejo (2nd from left) and DOST Undersecretary for Regional Operations, Dr. Carol M.Yorobe (far right) with them is DOST-1’s OIC Regional Director Armando Q. Ganal (far left) - Photo courtesy of DOST Calabarzon
(Right  photo) The De Padua Family with DOST-1’s OIC Regional Director Armando Q. Ganal during the recognition program for SME innovators.

By Racquel P. Espiritu
SRS II, DOST 1

Chemfree Foods, producer of chemical-free ube powder, was hailed as Best SETUP Adoptor by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Region 1 for the year 2014.

Engr. Ernesto M. De Padua, the owner and manager of the firm, personally accepted the Plaque of Recognition and a cash prize of P 10,000.00 from DOST Secretary Mario G. Montejo and Undersecretary for Regional Operations, Dr. Carol M. Yorobe during the program on Smart Innovations for SMEs at the National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) celebration held last July 25, 2014 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia, Pasay City. The Search recognizes the firm’s exemplary and commendable performance in terms of technology innovation, product quality, marketing and financial outcomes, and management leadership.

Chemfree Foods started its operation in 2001 where production of ube powder was done at a rented house in Casiaman, Bacnotan, La Union. Engr. De Padua, an agricultural engineer and former professor in Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU), together with his wife and children, do all the works of the enterprise – from production to marketing of finished products. 

The firm’s advocacy against use of chemicals in foods led Engr. De Padua from discovering the color retention technology for ube powder. It is noted that most powdered products which have been subjected to high temperature in the process of drying and pulverization lose their natural color, requiring producers to resort to food coloring for added market value. With the technology, ube’s color after processing was retained, enhanced, and stabilized. Moreover, the finished products can be stored and preserved up to two years without any discoloration.

In 2004, the firm was registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as a single proprietorship business which eventually became a Barangay Micro-Business Enterprise (BMBE) in 2009. As a business-research oriented entity, it is an active private partner-cooperator in technology verification research development program on food processing of DMMMSU.

In 2005, the firm has received financial assistance worth P116,000.00 from the Ilocos Consortium for Industry and Energy Research and Development (ICIERD), an inter-agency support group led by DOST for research and development activities for local industries.  The assistance was a R&D fund intended for the construction of the multi-purpose dryer and commercialization of food processing technology of ube. 

The expanding market and increasing number of clients led the firm to upgrade and improve its production process and equipment to meet the growing demand for the product.  In 2010, the firm became a SETUP beneficiary where it acquired a bigger capacity and more efficient multi-purpose dryer, electronic platform, band sealing machine and a platform balance with total worth of P397,200.00.  The firm was also a recipient of various trainings and consultancy services such as Productivity and Quality Seminar, Current Good Manufacturing Practices Seminar, Energy Audit, and Food Safety Assessment.

More than the personal gains that the firm has achieved through innovation, science and technology, Chemfree Foods has made its impact to the community through the provision of jobs to unemployed housewives and out-of-school-youths.  It has also promoted agricultural processing technologies and post-harvest practices to farmers in Northern Luzon.  More importantly, its has given stable income to farmers of ube in the locality and nearby provinces.

The Search for Best SETUP Adoptor, launched in 2012, is awarded annually by DOST to recognize the efforts of outstanding entrepreneurs who are beneficiaries of SETUP—“Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program”.  SETUP is a nationwide strategy of DOST to encourage and assist SMEs to adopt technological innovations to improve their operations and thus boost their productivity and competitiveness. The program enables firms to address their technical problems through technology transfer and technological interventions to improve productivity through better product quality, human resources development, cost minimization and waste management, and other operation related activities.  For details on implemented SETUP projects in the country, visit http://webgis.dost.gov.ph/.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Empanada festival: A celebration of good taste and good life

By
By Dominic B. dela Cruz & Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporters BATAC CITY—If there is one thing Batac is truly proud of, it would be its famous empanada-making business that has nurtured its people over the years. Embracing a century-old culture and culinary tradition, Batac’s empanada claims to be the best and tastiest in the country with its distinctive Ilokano taste courtesy of its local ingredients: fresh grated papaya, mongo, chopped longganisa, and egg. The crispy orange wrapper and is made of rice flour that is deep-fried. The celebration of this city’s famous traditional fast food attracting locals and tourists elsewhere comes with the City Charter Day of Batac every 23 rd  of June. Every year, the City Government of Batac led by Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta commemorate the city’s charter day celebration to further promote its famous One-Town, One Product, the Batac empanada. Empanada City The Batac empanada festival has already become...
9 comments
Read more

Free dormitories eyed for Nueva Era students in LC, Batac

By
 Nueva Era mayor Aldrin Garvida By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Nueva Era , Ilocos Norte—The municipal government here, headed by Nueva Era mayor Aldrin Garvida is planning to establish dormitories in the cities of Laoag and Batac that will exclusively cater to college students from the said cities. “Sapay la kuma ta maituloyen iti mabiit tay ar-arapaapen tayo ken iti munisipyo a maipatakderan kuma dagiti annak tayo a college students nga agbasbasa idiay siyudad iti Batac ken Laoag iti libre a dormitoryo a bukod da ngem inggana nga awan pay ket an-anusan mi paylaeng nga ibaklay kenni apo bise mayor iti pagbayad da iti kasera aggapu iti bukod mi a suweldo malaksid dagitay it-ited iti munisipyo ken iti barangay nga stipend da kada semester, ” Garvida said.    Garvida added that the proposed establishment of dormitories would be a big help to the students’ parents as this would shoulder the expenses of their children for rent and likewise they would feel...
Post a Comment
Read more

P29 per kilo rice sold to vulnerable groups in Ilocos region

By
BBM RICE. Residents buy rice for only PHP29 per kilo at the NIA compound in San Nicolas town, Ilocos Norte province on Sept. 13, 2024. The activity was under a nationwide pilot program of the government to sell quality and affordable rice initially to the vulnerable sectors. (Lei Adriano) San Nicolas , Ilocos Norte —Senior citizens, persons with disability, and solo parents availed of cheap rice sold at PHP29 per kilogram during the grand launching of the Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka (BBM) Rice held at the National Irrigation Administration compound in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte province on Sept. 13, 2024. “ Maraming salamat Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. sa inyong pagmamahal sa Region 1 lalong-lalo na sa bayan namin sa San Nicolas,” said Violeta Pasion, a resident Brgy.   18 Bingao in this town. The low-priced grains were sourced from the National Irrigation Administration’s (NIA) contract farming with irrigators' association members in the province. Along with Pasion, Epi...
Post a Comment
Read more