by admin | Jun 30, 2018 | Local News / Bohol Balita, Tech Talk
TAGBILARAN CITY – More than 100 Boholano MSMEs have participated in a digital marketing campaign last June 29, 2018 at Bohol Tropics Resort.
Boost Your Business is a project by Bayan Academy and DTI in partnership with Facebook Philippines that aims to promote the use of social media platforms as a tool for creating an advantage in business.
The event focused on marketing theories that are applicable on creating good quality content, creative visuals, and effective messages on social media. Mr Carlo Sagun , the event trainor, also introduced the different marketing strategies for Facebook and Instagram-two of the leading platforms in the world. A hands-on application of the theories was conducted afterwards using the apps of Facebook Philippines.
Also gracing the one day workshop is the Congressman of the First District of Bohol Hon. Rene Lopez Relampagos as well as DTI Bohol’s very own Jerome John J. Gabin, STIDS who have encouraged the participants to ride on the opportunity of doing business online.
According to Mr Sagun, among the chosen venues,Bohol Province has the largest number of participants so far.
by admin | Jun 30, 2018 | Headlines
TAGBILARAN CITY, BOHOL – More than twenty Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) viewed an online learning event last June 27, 2018 in an initiative to provide wider access to government information.
The event, entitled Empowering Philippines SMEs with Digital Tools and Mentorship Opportunities, was a whole day event held at the Philippine Trade and Training Center (PTTC) in Manila with the aim of enhancing the capabilities of MSMEs using digital systems and facilities that can be utilized according to their needs. Among the presenters of the event includes the United States Ambassador to the Philippines Amb. Sung Kim, President of Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Ms. Alegria S. Limjoco, and Secretary Ramon M. Lopez of DTI.
In an initiative of one of the organizers, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provided a live streaming platform for the MSMEs in all of its offices to join the said event without travelling physically to the venue. Two venues were designated by Bohol Province which includes the Provincial Office and Negosyo Center BOSS in order to deliver a wider access of viewership. Aside from the speeches from the keynote speakers, MSMEs were able to view and absorb the information discussed by mentors from panel discussions to workshops as well as clinic sessions.
Among the topics discussed were the digitalization and improving of Filipino MSMEs’ reach to global market, effective marketing content making and improving enterprises’ access to finance. This enabled the Boholano businessmen to learn the current challenges and opportunities the industry is facing in the digital age at the same time as the participants in the Capital. (Photos by B. Panong and C. Apale) -KACalumba
by admin | Jun 25, 2018 | National News
UNIDO lauds DTI’s efforts in pushing inclusive innovation,
initiatives strengthening MSMEs
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez discussed with United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Director General Li Yong the 1st UNIDO Country Programme for the Philippines (PH) as well as the technical assistance and support for the Philippine National System of Innovation.
“The partnership between the Philippines and UNIDO will greatly benefit the Filipino people and improve the current state of the country through various technical assistance and support in developmental areas. As the country programme is based on the macroeconomic agenda of President Rodrigo Duterte, it will support the government’s drive to reduce poverty and improve industries through the development of human capital, innovation, and connectivity in the country,” said Sec. Lopez.
The UNIDO Country Programme was crafted in line with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022. Its framework is based on the country’s national priorities and aims to strengthen collaborations among development cooperation partnerships of the PH government.
DTI has identified priority interventions that will benefit from the support and technical assistance from the partnership with UNIDO. These will focus on promoting innovation, upgrading industries, and facilitating manufacturing resurgence.
During the meeting, the trade chief highlighted PH’s thrust to push for rapid growth in the industry sector through the Inclusive Innovation Industrial Strategy (I3S), an industrialization program that will ensure the development of the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as part of the value chains.
“Our plan is to promote productivity, innovation, and inclusivity in industry development. These will allow participation of those at the bottom of the pyramid and solve the poverty situation,” Sec. Lopez added.
Director General Yong commended the programs of the government that reflects the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) strategies. He also lauded PH’s growth rate, the country’s initiatives empowering MSMEs, the drive for job and income generation, as well as the government’s efforts of linking MSMEs to the global value chains.
Meanwhile, Sec. Lopez conveyed the need to include and put emphasis on trade as well as building the manufacturing capacity in the country programme. He expressed that greater human capital, innovation, productivity, and resilience are essential in creating stronger manufacturing and export manufacturing base in the country.
“Our success in achieving our goal to balance trade and create surplus depends on capacity building—both physical capacity and human resources. The technical assistance as well as support in these areas are greatly needed,” said the trade chief.
Sec. Lopez also mentioned the need to address the power cost, which is one of the major challenges, as it affects the competitiveness of companies operating in the PH.
The UNIDO Country Programme aims to address key issues including challenges in investment and ease in doing business, competitiveness, innovation in the industry sector, skills mismatch (labor force vis-à-vis industry needs), availability of data and statistics (industry sector, especially MSME), productivity-enhancing support services, infrastructure (agriculture, forestry, and fishery sector), and vulnerability to climate and disaster risks.
DTI has started exploring cooperation with UNIDO in terms of strengthening the innovation ecosystem for industry and support to private sector innovation. This covers measures to strengthen academe-industry linkages for research and development, commercialization, and financing. It also includes firm-level innovation programs for PH’s priority industries such as electronic manufacturing services, automotive and auto parts, aerospace parts, chemicals, shipbuilding, design-oriented furniture and garments, tool and die, agri-business, information technology and business process management, transport and logistics, tourism, and construction. The institutional strengthening of the Department, government, academe, and industry partnerships was also emphasized.
by admin | Jun 24, 2018 | Local News / Bohol Balita
By JUNE S. BLANCO
THREE years after Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado (Bohol, 2nd District) first filed the bill proposing the construction of a bridge to link Bien Unido and Talibon towns in northern Bohol, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has allocated P5 million for its full-blown feasibility study.
During the pre-feasibility study, the team that conducted an ocular inspection of the possible anchor sites for the proposed bridge to link the two towns had identified Barangays San Isidro in Talibon and Nueva Esperanza in Bien Unido. Seawaters surrounding both barangays are observed to be shallow.
Aumentado said while Bien Unido is adjacent to Talibon, one has to travel some 20 kilometers if he has some business or has something to buy in the latter which is the bigger town.
Bien Unido and Talibon are both on the mainland, but they are points on promontories separated by a bay. With the bridge only five kilometers long, travel time will be drastically cut short. As a result, more business, like the transport of goods from one town to the other, can be done in a day.
The solon expressed hope that the feasibility study will turn out good. Once completed, he said this means the cost of goods will go down hence, prices of commodities will reduce. The market linkage will also spur economic development for the two towns.
Then DPWH Sec. Rogelio Singson had sent the composite team of engineers and technical personnel from the national and regional offices. But current Sec. Mark Villar had effected the allocation of P5 million for the feasibility study.
A 2015 DPWH estimate had pegged the cost of the bridge at P285 million.
Meanwhile, Aumentado early this week briefed a team from DPWH Bohol and DPWH Leyte on the possible anchors in both provinces for the proposed Leyte-Bohol Bridge. The team conducted an ocular inspection of Ubay and Lapinig Island on the Bohol side and Maasin in Leyte.
by admin | Jun 22, 2018 | Headlines
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as chair of the Export Development Council (EDC) is expecting the approval of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte of the new Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) 2018-2022 after getting the endorsement of the country’s Economic Development Cluster last 14 June 2018.
The PEDP 2018-2022 is a five-year roadmap that identifies strategies that will support in reaching the country’s export targets and improving country’s export competitiveness.
“Past PEDPs have been helpful in setting the direction that we implement to attain our targets. With the new plan, we aim to level up our initiatives and address recurring issues through concrete and efficient action plans that will benefit both the public and the private sector,” said Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez.
In 2017, the PEDP identified a target of $92.15 billion in exports revenues for combined merchandise and services exports. PEDP has been instrumental in hitting the target and even exceeded it with actual exports revenue of $98.84 billion in 2017.
Lopez also mentioned the goal of the PEDP to synchronize initiatives that will help attain end-period target for exports of $122 billion by 2022 as identified in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP). Thus, instead of the usual PEDP as three-year rolling plan under the Export Development Act (RA 7844), the PEDP 2018-2022 extends until the end-period of the PDP.
“This intensifies the mandate to the Export Development Council and the DTI to strictly implement and efficiently cascade action plans as it becomes integral in attaining the medium-term plan in PDP and in the long-run, in attaining the Ambisyon 2040,” Lopez added.
The PEDP 2018-2022 identified three strategies that laid out action plans that will support the growth of the exports industry in the coming periods.
First strategy dwells on the government’s goal of improving the overall climate for export development through removal of unnecessary regulatory impediments, enhancement of trade facilitation, improved access to trade finance and exports’ competitiveness.
The second strategy identified is to exploit existing and prospective opportunities from trading arrangements. DTI has existing programs that aim to increase awareness on various opportunities offered by free trade agreements (FTAs) that the Philippines currently enjoys. In the new PEDP, the second strategy proposed a dedicated program like DTI’s Doing Business in Free Trade Areas (DBFTA) to strengthen promotion efforts to prospective and existing exporters.
Lastly, the plan proposed the crafting of comprehensive packages to promote select products and service sectors.
“We are working closely with the private sector and other government agencies in attaining success on this and we welcome the issuance of the Memorandum Circular No. 27 in October last year that directs all concerned and relevant agencies to strengthen the implementation of the PEDP in the coming periods with their identified roles and tasks,” said DTI Undersecretary for Trade and Investments Promotion Group Nora K. Terrado.
The memorandum further identifies the integral roles of the identified agencies in relation to the implementation of the PEDP. It explicitly linked PEDP with PDP further supporting their closer synchronization and strengthening time frames and targets. After the approval of the PEDP, the Export Development Council will hold stakeholder engagements across the country.
