Monday, October 06, 2008 Industry group launches better product development program
TO help maintain the Philippine furniture export industry’s position as the design destination in Asia, the Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation (CFIF) enhanced its product development and design competence program for members.
CFIF launched last Friday an “improved” design and product development program (DPDP) with components that extend not just to Cebu X exhibitors, designers and partner-organizations but also to universities outside Cebu.
The P8.1-million DPDP, which prepares exhibitors for the Cebu International Furniture and Furnishings Exhibition (Cebu X) 2009 in March, is funded by the Export Development Council (P5.6 million) with counterpart funding from CFIF (P2.5 million).
“We are living in interesting times since our reputation as supplier of quality furniture designs is tested every day. Our supply of design talents and product development is crucial to the survival of the industry. (We are here) to give tools to push companies, designers and new entrants toward global competitiveness,” said Allan Murillo, Cebu X 2009 chairman.
He also said that Cebu X organizers expect more than 80 but less than 100 exhibitors who will display “quality” works in next year’s show.
CFIF expects more exhibitors to register in the last two months of this year.
CFIF officials said about 90 percent of applicant-exhibitors are Cebu-based.
Components
DPDP’s components this year are Design Mentorship Program, Student Internship Program (SIP), Materials Manipulation Program and Design Forum.
The Design Mentorship Program primarily aims to drive design and product innovation in the industry. Under this component, furniture and furnishings designers—Val Padilla, Luisa de los Santos-Robinson, Rene Ybanez and Carlo Tanseco—will be hired to serve as consultants to selected 26 Cebu X exhibiting companies.
“This component is on first-come, first-served basis but priority will be given to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) over large companies. Each qualified SME will receive a funding subsidy of P40,000 from CFIF for the program,” said CFIF executive director Ruby Salutan.
The Material Manipulation program component involves research and development (R&D) on new materials available in the country that can be used as raw materials for production together with imported materials.
Results of the R&D will be made accessible online on the CFIF information center website and will be shown during the Cebu X 2009.
The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines is the component program’s manager. It already identified at least 12 participating companies coming from the furniture, gifts, toys and houseware, as well as fashion accessories industries.
The Design Forum component, on the other hand, aims to provide a “groundswell” of design-related activities in which designers will be able to speak about their design philosophies and works, and eventually, reinforce the positioning of Cebu as the design destination in Asia.
During the program launch at its office in Mandaue City, CFIF also signed a memorandum of agreement with its partner colleges and universities—University of the Philippines (UP) in the Visayas, University of San Carlos, De La SalleCollege of Saint Benilde and UP-Diliman—which will provide a total of 71 students who will participate in the SIP. (NRC)
