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Friday, January 13, 2006
Wood producers survive on export
Demand from furniture exporters keeps local wood producers afloat despite the crisis and competition from other Asian countries.
“We had better sales performance last year compared to that of the previous year because aside from our sales in the local market, we also had more subcontracting jobs with bigger furniture exporters,” said Alfonso Yap, president of Wood Producers Association of Cebu (Wopac).
Composed of 27 member companies, Wopac benefits when there is high demand in the international market for furniture from the Philippines.
Better sales
“We aim to improve our sales this year and expand our market. If we need to go out (work with more exporters) to get more market, then we will,” he said.
Wopac member companies sell various wood finished products, such as furniture, wooden doors, windows, table and other woodcraft to the local market in Cebu, he said.
He admitted that competition caused by cheap furniture imports and the increasing cost of lumber materials continue to challenge local wood producers.
Their raw materials come from the Visayas and Mindanao, he said.
Lack
But aside from competition and increasing cost of materials, Yap also told Sun.Star Cebu that Wopac is concerned about its lack of skilled woodworkers.
“Woodwork is a highly technical and specialized job. That’s why we offer trainings,” he said.
But it is a sad reality that some big furniture companies don’t want to invest in training and developing their workers, he said.
“They steal from us those that we’ve trained because they offer higher pay. That is a problem for Wopac,” he added.
Wopac has a training and service center in Cansojong, Talisay City.
He said high school graduates can avail of the training and technical courses at the Wopac training center, provided they pass the entrance exam. (ALC)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (January 13, 2006 issue)
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