DTI to launch Fablab in Dec

THE Fabrication Lab (Fablab), one of the Shared Service Facility (SSF) projects of the Department of Trade and Industry 11 (DTI 11), is now on its equipment procurement stages and is targeted to be launched by December of this year.

The Fablab, which has an allocated space at the 4th floor of the new building at the University of Southeastern Philippines (Usep) is intended for non-food Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the region. The laboratory was given a P10-million budget.

According to DTI 11 regional director Maria Belenda Q. Ambi, the laboratory’s equipment will be coming from Manila while some are imported abroad.

“The facilities available in the laboratory will be 3D printers, laser cutter, large format printers, handheld 3D laser scanner, embroidery machine, and hit and press equipment for fabric, among others. Facilities here are anything that has to do with designing and prototyping,” Ambi told Sun Star Davao in an interview Wednesday, July 18.

Earlier, DTI - Davao City assistant regional director Edwin O. Banquerigo said the Fablab will be able to support enterprises that are into furniture, wood industry, and the metal sector. For the food sector, the assistance will be more on the packaging.

Nationwide, SSF is a project of DTI targeted to give MSMEs access to better technology and sophisticated equipment to become more competitive in the field.

In 2017, Senate Committee Chair on Finance Senator Loren Legarda, who is the principal sponsor and author of Republic Act No. 9501 also known as the Magna Carta for MSMEs, increased funding support for the SSF program to P1 billion nationwide. This amount, she said, would enhance the productivity and competitiveness of MSMEs in the country.

According to Ambi, the allotted budget for the entire Davao Region for 2018 is P19 million.