MSMEs urged to scale up products through OTOP

Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are urged to enroll their products in the One Town One Product (OTOP) program of the Department of Trade and Industry.

OTOP aims to help MSMEs scale up their products through innovation in areas for quality, product development, design, standards compliance, marketability, production capability and brand development.

DTI regional director Asteria Caberte said as of May this year, around 143 MSMEs in Central Visayas joined the OTOP Next Generation's screening, assessment and triage sessions, where experts from the Design Center of the Philippines and private sector evaluated potential products.

OTOP also supports MSMEs to manufacture, offer and market distinctive products or services through the use of indigenous raw materials and local skills and talent.

OTOP Next Gen also seeks to improve the competitiveness of the local products identified in the program.

It specifically gives emphasis to product development, branding of these products and how well these can be presented to the consumers.

The program covers products such as agro-based goods, processed food a day beverage, delicacies, agri-processing (coffee, coconut oil and cacao), food supplements, packaged culinary dishes, industrial products, home decors, fashion, garments and textiles, accessories, gits and souvenir items, personal care and cosmetics and services.

Meanwhile, the agency's Kapatid Mentor Me (KMM) is also ongoing in Cebu (its fourth run), Bohol (second) and Negros Oriental (third and fourth runs).

KKM is a 12-module mentoring session for MSEs to help scale up their business through weekly coaching and mentoring by business owners and practitioners on the different areas of entrepreneurship.

The goal of the program is to produce confident entrepreneurs with the right mindset and business knowhow that will enable them to sustain and scale up their business.

The entrepreneurial mentoring program is led by DTI, Go Negosyo and the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.