Friday, May 30, 2008 Solon foresees export potential in local gun making industry
A CONGRESSMAN has recognized the potential of the firearms industry in Danao City to cater to the international market.
Rep. Roilo Golez (Para-ñaque), in an interview with news reporters yesterday, said he also believes that legalizing gun manufacturing in Danao will deter the presence of illegal manufacturers.
“The firearms (manufactured) in Danao City can substitute the imported ones,” he said.
He also said that there is a need for the government to come up with a “good firearms manufacturing policy,” like what South Africa did. South Africa is now a major exporter of firearms, he added.
Danao City has been known to produce “paltik” (illegal) guns and it is this long history that gives the gun making industry an edge against other manufacturers in the country, said Rep. Ramon “Red” Durano VI (5th district, Cebu).
At present, the Workers League of Danao Multi-Purpose Cooperative (World) is the only authorized manufacturer of firearms in Danao City.
World is also licensed to produce five types of firearms, the .38 revolver, .45 revolver, shotgun, semi-automatic Ingram and KG pistols.
Durano said the cooperative has to go through strict safety requirements when applying for the license to manufacture
firearms. The license is renewable every year.
Handcrafted
Jun Juntilla, World chairman of the board of directors, said the quality of the firearms produced by the cooperative is “99 percent perfect” as these are mainly handcrafted.
“We can’t rely on machines,” he said.
World, through the Firearms, Explosives and Security Agency and Guards Supervisory Section (Fesagss), produces firearms for a number of security agencies nationwide.
Fesagss, a unit of the PNP, is tasked to oversee the production and sale of firearms manufactured by World to authorized gun dealers.
Juntilla, however, could not disclose the average number of guns manufactured by World every month since the cooperative only makes firearms when an order is placed by authorized gun stores.
But he said the cooperative is not yet allowed to receive direct orders. All World guns are sold through authorized gun dealers where the prices are 50 percent more than the factory price, he added.
But World is preparing its application for a dealership license this year, Juntilla said.
Aside from making guns, the cooperative is also trying to look into the possibility of producing wood carvings and metal craft. (DME)
