Ilocos Norte MSMEs eye 20% rise in sales with OneSTore hub
LAOAG (PNA)
CITY – Micro, small and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs) expect a 20-percent increase in sales following the launching of OneSTore hub, a onestop-shop featuring world-class Ilocano products.
Thirty-four MSMEs and farmers associations participated with over 100 Ilocos Norteproduced food and nonfood products displayed at the newly-opened OneSTore hub at the Paseo de Paoay, and posted at the oneSTore.ph.
“We have teamed up with the Department of Science and Technology in establishing an ecommerce platform to assist MSMEs in expanding their market both locally and internationally,” Elma Gabriel, head of the I l o co s Norte government’s Small and Medium Enterprise Office, said Saturday.
Gabriel said the OneSTore hub showcases locally-sourced products of the province with their corresponding prices, where buyers can add to cart and upon payment, these will be shipped to their given address in a few days.
Carmelita Abnasan, a wine maker from the mountainous town of Adams, beamed with pride as her fruit wine products found another home at the OneSTore hub just across the UNESCO-world heritage site of St. Augustine Church which is frequently visited by tourists.
“They said the online store operates like Lazada where online selling and shopping is made easy and convenient,” Abnasan said.
Other MSMEs who were given the chance to sell their products at the OneSTore hub are optimistic about the future of their business.
“This is a welcome development. We are excited how far our products would go,” said Suerte Mia Soriano, a wholesale producer of banana chips, taro chips, sweet and salted peanut, adobong mani (deepfried peanut), and chichacorn (corn snack), among others, from a remote village in Binacag, Banna.
Among the products on display at the OneSTore hub are mostly DOST-assisted products.
These range from agricultural items to processed local food products such as ground coffee grown in Piddig town, chichacorn, bagnet (crispy pork belly), banana chips, camote chips, dried noodles, shell, and bamboo crafts, woodworks and artisan furniture, heritage fabrics like the Abel Iloco and binakol, and other traditional and souvenir items.