Saturday, June 02, 2007 Otop products rake $45M export sales for C. Mindanao
GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Central Mindanao raked in P870.35 million in investments for products identified under the "one town, one product" scheme in 2006, a top Department of Trade and Industry executive said.
Products in the region labeled with Otop also registered $44.75 million export receipts last year, said regional trade director Ibrahim Guiamadel.
Central Mindanao's performance in investments and exports for products identified under Otop made it the number one among the other regions in the country during the period, he added.
Guiamadel said the ranking was made by the DTI Regional Operations Group in Manila.
In the domestic scene, Otop products from Central Mindanao ranked fourth with P153 million sales. It created 3,305 new jobs while sustaining the employment of 2,332 others.
Otop program, which the Arroyo government has been pushing through the trade department, is patterned after a "One Village One Product" project of the Oita Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan.
Its success prompted other countries to adopt the project as a model in eradicating poverty, particularly in rural areas.
"Of only regional Otop product in 2004, which is banana, the region now has 45 through the concurrence of the town's local chief executives," Guiamadel noted.
The region covers the provinces of South and North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.
Nelly Nita Dillera, DTI-Central Mindanao business development division chief, noted that he region's accomplishment last year was brought by the trial shipment that eventually became regular shipment of fresh fruits from small fruit growers from North Cotabato to Brussels, Belgium.
"There is also the establishment of network with a private transport corporation that consolidates fruits from North Cotabato for delivery to Manila within 48 hours," she added.
Nutri-Prime Farms of Kidapawan City, producer of processed mangosteen capsule and tea currently marketed in the United States, won the Ifex 2006 Trendy Award. This is given to new products with strong export potential.
Other reasons cited for the region's Otop products outstanding performance last year were:
* linking tuna value-added products to institutional buyers in the US and Japan. At least 50 small and medium enterprises engaged in the production of tuna value-added products like tocino, embotido, longganisa, and others were extended assistance;
* growers and processors of organic muscovado in President Quirino, Sultan Kudarat have consolidated their efforts in marketing their produce by applying for registration a collective mark– PQ Muscovado - that can be used by a big number of processors provided that they comply with a set of standards they drafted and agreed upon;
* organic cavendish (bongulan) banana where its growers have also converged to apply and acquire organic certification from an international certifying body, Ecocert.
Guiamadel said they have also established a booth for the region's Otop products located in pasalubong centers across the region, which boosted sales.
In certain areas, Otop implementing teams were created composed of local officials, government agencies and the entrepreneurs themselves, he added. (BSS)
