Davao City: The Department of Trade and Industry in Davao Region (DTI-11) will launch three more high-impact projects worth PHP24.7 million that were approved last year, an official from the agency said Tuesday. DTI-11 regional director Romeo Casta±aga stated during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas that most of the projects are focused on supporting the innovation ecosystem of the region.
According to Philippines News Agency, the fabrication laboratory at Davao Oriental State University in Mati, Davao Oriental, among the four high-impact projects costing PHP34.7 million, was already launched on March 5. The PHP10-million laboratory project is envisioned to address the critical need for advanced fabrication facilities that will allow micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to develop new product designs, create prototypes, and upgrade packaging and labelling. The remaining projects are scheduled for launch during the second quarter of 2025.
Casta±aga also shared that among the priority targets in 2025, DTI-11 will assist around 5,524 farm households who will receive seedlings for coffee, cacao, and banana-Cardava, with a total amount of the approved productive investment of PHP63 million. These farmers, who are members of 52 farmers' organizations (FOs), will also receive support through productive investments such as post-harvest facilities, equipment, and warehouses to enhance their processing, production, and storage capacity.
A total of 2,292 hectares are expected to be planted with coffee, cacao, and banana-Cardava seedlings, while 3,396 hectares will undergo rehabilitation. DTI-11 provided services to eight priority industry clusters in the Davao Region, including cacao, coffee, coconut, rubber, palm oil, processed fruits and nuts, wearables and homestyle, and bamboo.
Using the industry cluster approach, DTI will build alliances through industry councils with relevant agencies and institutions to develop competitive and innovative SMEs, implement a program for productivity and efficiency, and create a conducive business enabling environment. For farm to market roads (FMR), Casta±aga noted they target around 3.7 kilometers of road upgrading/rehabilitation in Maragusan, Davao de Oro, and Mati, Davao Oriental, with a project cost of PHP56.8 million. These FMRs are expected to provide more socio-economic benefits, as more beans would be coming in, transportation costs of farm products will be decreased, which will translate to an increase in sales of the cooperative and eventually increase the household income of smallholder farmers.
