The Department of Trade and Industry – Bohol Provincial Office conducted a Multi-Stakeholder Briefing and Media Tour of Bohol on November 14, 2014. The media tour involved a series of roundtable discussions participated by representatives from the national, regional and local media.
The objective of the media tour was to help promote awareness and proper understanding of the opportunities and challenges of the coming regional market integration called AEC 2015. Issues related to economic prospects and development agenda of the Philippines, industry and business practices and consumer protection in relation to the regional integration were also discussed.
Among the discussion topics was how local stakeholders could collaborate to build competitive MSMEs. DTI Provincial Director Ma. Elena Arbon presented FabLab Bohol, a recently opened fabrication laboratory funded by multiple international funding agencies. The fabrication laboratory, the first of its kind in the Philippines, has been utilized by more than twenty local SMEs and organizations.
Director Arbon presented an example of the fabrication of a food grade silcon mold for ginger candy. Another fabrication project is the fabrication of a heat press machine. This example is unique because it is a fabrication of a production tool rather than the end product itself. Another project developed at the Fab Lab is the Balilihan Wiki House which was inaugurated earlier this year.
Also present to answer questions from the media were DTI Regional Director, DTI-7 Asteria C. Caberte, DTI Assistant Secretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo, Yoshiyuki Euno, Chief, Poverty Reduction Division of JICA and Elpidio T. Magante, President of BISU, the host university of the Fab Lab.
Asteria C. Caberte,DTI-7 Regional Director, Ceferino S. Rodolfo DTI Assistant Secretary, Yoshiyuki Euno, Chief, Poverty Reduction Division of JICA, Elpidio T. Magante, SUC President of BISU answering questions from the media during the media briefing.
Students of BISU and other universities have used the Fab Lab for their school projects. Magante announced that another Fab Lab is planned for the BISU Bingag, Dauis campus. This new laboratory will be oriented towards mass production rather than prototyping.
