Monday, January 08, 2007 Cordi products get progress
THE One Town One Product (Otop) program in the Cordilleras is gaining headway in terms of sales and promotion of local products as it draws considerable support from the national and local governments.
With the identification of priority products and the forging of commitments by the local chief executives to support Otop, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was also signed between and among 11 national line agencies and one state university, said Trade Regional Director Carmelita Usman.
She said the MOU outlines the responsibilities of various agencies in harmonizing support programs to the various municipalities in the region. The Otop concept in the region started with towns where local products have shown high market potential.
As a result of a strategic planning and assessment workshop attended by local government units (LGUs) and line agency officials last year, a workable system aimed at promoting and developing Otop products was planned.
In the past two years, unified support programs were geared towards Otop products development, said Usman, adding that the program was able to deliver its contribution towards attaining expected outcomes spelled out in the 10-point agenda of the present administration.
Records showed that investment generation reached P64 million, creating 3,420 new jobs for the labor force of the region. These Otop products also generated aggregate sales of P61.31 million for the period.
Usman explained that while the regional Otop -- Kalinga coffee -- is fast gaining market acceptance in Metro Manila and abroad, Otop products from the other provinces such as strawberry-based products from Benguet, silvercraft from Baguio, bamboo-based products from Abra, cassava from Apayao, fruit wine of Mountain Province, and tilapia from Ifugao also reached certain levels of promotion.
She said the targeted goal is to position the region as a premier source of organic coffee as the existence of equally marketable Benguet and Sagada coffee is not discounted.
Otop small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) in the region also participated in a number of promotional venues such as the Otop Luzon fair, national trade fair, the recently concluded Adivay fair in La Trinidad, Benguet and the Impakabsat 2006 conducted at the Festival Mall.
Due to these promotional and marketing activities, some SMEs are now regularly supplying buyers whom they met during these fairs.
Recently, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) regional office also opened a pasalubong center at its regional office along Cariño Street where buyers can avail of Otop products.
Usman said the center became the favorite source of giveaways and tokens by various government as well as private entities. This was manifested during the holiday seasons where turnover of stocks was unusually high. Sales generated by the center for the period amounted to P120,000.
The marketability of these Otop products can be attributed to various support activities conducted in the provincial and regional offices of the DTI and other line agencies and the LGUs. These include among others the HACCP accreditation orientation seminar, good manufacturing practices, packaging and labeling, branding seminar, and product development.
Focus of intervention for 2007 shall be the development of Otop seal of excellence, branding, packaging and labeling, and market promotion. To attain these activities, Undersecretary Carissa Cruz-Evangelista of the DTI Regional Operations Group is exerting much effort to generate the needed resources to fund the lined up activities for the year. (AT)
