By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff Reporter
CITY of batac—Micro,
small and medium enterprises in the province are excited to explore the
services of a sophisticated one-stop techno hub now made available closer to
their homes.
A former overseas Filipino worker-turned-entrepreneur Agnes
Asuncion from Currimao, Ilocos Norte said “you do not need to travel by far or
go out of the country to find a better fortune when there are opportunities
waiting for you back home.”
As a member of the Philippine Export Confederation, Inc.
(PHILEXPORT), Ms. Asuncion is just one among the hundreds and thousands of
beneficiaries of various government programs and initiatives to help micro,
small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to grow and maximize their potential.
“We thank MMSU and DTI for being behind us —from skills training,
product development and marketing of our products. Through them, we are more
confident now to export our products,” said Asuncion who is into dragon fruit
soap-making and fruit wine business.
On January 23, 2020, the Department of Trade and Industry
turned-over to the Mariano Marcos State University in Batac main campus a PHP50-million
shared service facility to further promote growth and development of MSMEs in
the province.
The SSF project according to DTI Undersecretary Blesila A.
Lantayona, hopes to transform the lives of Ilocanos and make them more
enterprising.
“We are happy for being part of this project. DTI has already
provided the equipment so they can start the activity. Now, DTI still owns the
equipment, but if the cooperator, which is MMSU, can operate it optimally and
can show us that all the equipment are being used, then, in a span of two
years, these equipment will be awarded to the MMSU,” said Ms. Lantayona.
The latest SSF granted by DTI to MMSU is presently housed at the
second floor of the newly-inaugurated National Bioenergy Research and
Innovation Center (NBERIC) at Brgy. Quiling Sur, this city. It features a
modern laboratory where researchers, innovators, teachers, students, and other
stakeholders especially the MSMEs can utilize to boost their productivity.
“The equipment will serve two purposes: for continuous research
to form the innovative ideas of young researchers, scientists, in the
development of the technology; and at the same time, this is going to be a
training facility for the farmers and even entrepreneurs whom we are developing
as scientists in the village,” MMSU President Dr. Shirley Agrupis added.
During the January 23, 2020 signing of memorandum of agreement, Dr.
Agrupis assured that MMSU will not just be a good steward to the facilities
entrusted to them but they shall operate it and deliver more than what is
expected.
Over the years, the DTI has put up SSF in various towns and
provinces to upgrade the production of local products to meet the standards of
the global market.
Other SSF facilities found in Batac City include bamboo craft and
development, meat products and processing of banana, sweet potato, chichacorn,
rice crackers and vegetable processing among others. Other towns in Ilocos Norte likewise have
their own SFF mainly to improve their one-town-one-product being promoted by
local government units and the DTI.
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