THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Davao City urged associations and cooperatives to avail themselves of the P20-million budget for the Shared Service Facility (SSF).
"Although it is a regional budget, it now depends on the provinces to send in their proposals. More or less, that is free money for now," DTI-Davao City director Rachel Remitio said.
She said she has already coordinated with the City Cooperative Development Office (CCDO) who can refer cooperatives that can be beneficiaries of the program.
Among the qualifications are that cooperatives must be engaged in production, have existed for one to three years, and have exhibited ideal business practice.
In Davao City, Remitio said there are already four cooperatives and associations that will be given about P13 million worth of facilities this year.
She said they have earmarked P8 million for Ateneo Shoe Academy, P5 million for Agri-Solutions Marketing Cooperative that is into coco peat production, P660,000 for the enhancement of the fabrication laboratory at the University of Southeastern Philippines (Usep), and P166,000 for the garments production project of the indigenous people in Marilog District.
She said Ateneo Shoe Academy, which is already their SSF beneficiary, has requested this year a computerized cutting machine to expedite their shoe production process. The machine costs P8 million.
She added the agency is now identifying where to procure the machine but are eyeing Taiwan or China.
In 2019, Remitio said Ateneo Shoe Academy received P5 million worth of shoe pressers and cutting machines.
"Other than the four, we have to identify pa. Mao ra na among panawagan. Basta naa na sila into production, and they existed for one to three years," she said.
For cooperatives that have existed for the required duration but lacked the supporting documents, she said the agency connects them with the local government units or the barangays. The barangay will become DTI's cooperators.