DTI improves local products
THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has intensified its interventions to improve local products as it aims to launch marketing hubs all over the country.
With its goal to upgrade the products of each locality, particularly those identified by the local government units (LGUs) under the One Town One Product (OTOP) Philippines program, the agency has conducted a series of activities.
Last May 15 and 16, DTI’s Regional Operations Group (ROG), together with the Regional Office here, gathered more than a hundred micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) at Seda Abreeza Hotel to receive free seminars and one-on-one business consultation from experts.
Tagged as OTOP Next Gen – ACT (Assessment, Consultation and Triage) Session, the two-day activity served as the platform for MSMEs to get intelligent guidance from industry experts and designers for them to upgrade their products.
The OTOP Next Gen is a component of OTOP Philippines program, which is primarily composed of product development initiatives, training, referral, and others, with the goal of leveling up the products in terms of design, quality and volume. This component is seen as a strategy to address mindset change and mastery aspects of entrepreneurship.
Through the OTOP Next Gen program, a package of assistance is provided to MSMEs with minimum viable products. They are given ideas on how to improve their products and what innovation to adopt in the areas of quality, product development, design, packaging, standards, compliance to industry requirements, marketability, production capability, and brand development.
DTI-ROG Assistant Secretary Demphna DuNaga, in her speech, shared her struggles before she became a successful entrepreneur herself. She also shared some tips on how she made it.
“Huwag matakot sa failure sa buhay,” she said. “Don’t give up!”
Du-Naga pointed out that challenges will always be part of an entrepreneur’s life; what is important, though, is the entrepreneur’s motivation and dedication to go on until finding finally the right ingredients to win more customers.
Apart from giving a sound business advice, the DTI official also committed to continuously extend help to MSMEs through the agency’s regional and provincial offices.
“In DTI, your success is our success. Your business is our business,” she concluded.
Meanwhile, DTI-hired designers evaluated the products of the participating MSMEs during the ACT session.
DTI-Davao Regional Director Maria Belenda Q. Ambi said the agency is still currently looking for a space where the OTOP. PH, or OTOP Philippines Hub, will be established. It will serve as the marketing arm of local products, particularly those that are part of the OTOP Next Gen initiative.
“We are looking at October to start operating our own OTOP.PH store here. In the meantime, we will continue implementing interventions to improve our local products, so that by the time we open our OTOP Philippines Hub, we can already offer high-quality items,” she said. DTI11/JMM