THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Davao Region approved a total of 10 projects, amounting to some P4.637 million, under the Shared Service Facilities (SSF) Project for this year.
DTI-Davao Director Maria Belenda Q. Ambi told Sun.Star in an interview that funding for these projects will be taken from the 2014 SSF budget allocation of P34 million.
There are seven approved SSF projects in Davao City, two in Davao del Norte, and one in Compostela Valley.
The largest approved project is the P1.2 million milk processing facility of the Federation of Davao Dairy Farmers Cooperative in Davao City.
The other six projects in Davao City are the P480,000 Cacao Fermentary and Drying Facility of the Cacao Nurturing Network Inc.; P850,000 Ube Powder Processing Facility of the GK Pueblo Cooperative; P330,000 Abaca Stripping Facility of the local government unit (LGU) of Sibulan, which will be located in the city; P434,500 Wood Furniture and Steelworks Making of the Adap Multipurpose Cooperative; P223,000 worth of additional Sewing Machines of the Artes de San Vicente; and the P284,500Garments and Upholstery Enhancement Facility enhancement if the Jesus Christ Workers Members Cooperative.
The two projects in Davao del Norte are the P300,000 Bangus Spring Roll Production of the Regional Fisheries Training Center and the P150,000 Vacuum Sealer Facility for organic rice of the Davao Federation of Fishers' and Farmers' Cooperative.
The P385,000 enhancement of the Food Processing Facility of the Assumption College of Nabunturan is the only project in Compostela Valley.
The SSF project is a major component of DTI's Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Program, which "aims to improve the competitiveness of MSMEs by providing them with machinery, equipment, tools, systems, skills and knowledge under a shared system."
In DTI-Davao's Preliminary Annual Performance for 2014, the regional office has established 11 SSFs with a total project cost of P9.518 million, which have assisted 237 MSMEs and generated 1,366 jons.
In 2013, the agency was able to establish 34 SSFs with a project cost of P9.519 million, which assisted 932 MSMEs and generated 1,870 jobs.