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DTI sees bright prospects ahead for PH coffee industry
While the Philippines consumes as much coffee as countries such as the United States, Brazil, Japan, and the European Union, the country is also looking to be one of the top producers of top-grade coffee around the world. To make this a reality, President Rodrigo Duterte last March 7, 2017 signed the Philippine Coffee Industry Roadmap 2017-2022 to boost the country’s domestic coffee output in the next five years—a huge lift for coffee farmers, producers, and traders. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said that the trade department is working closely with the Department of Agriculture (DA) to ensure that the Philippine Coffee industry would be at par with the world’s top producers such as Brazil, Vietnam, Columbia, Indonesia, and Honduras. “We have to have a patriotic drive to encourage demand for Philippine coffee. We are encouraging local producers to expand coffee production to create the demand,” said Sec. Lopez. The Philippine Coffee Industry Roadmap 2017-2022 will guarantee a coffee industry that is cost-competitive, aligned with global quality standards, reliable and environment-friendly, which will provide sustainable benefits to farmers, processors, traders, and exporters, and attain food security and poverty alleviation. Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world and is grown in 50 countries along the equatorial zone called “The Bean Belt,” which is located between latitudes 25 degrees north and 30 degrees south. Interestingly, the Philippines lies within the Bean Belt. Due to this advantageous location and favorable, although tropical, climate, the country produces four varities of coffee including Robusta, Arabica, Excelsa, and Liberica. According to Lopez, the current coffee output of the... read moreDTI, DOST team up for MSME “Filipinovation”
TAGUIG—Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon M. Lopez and Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña signed an MOU to promote Filipino innovation, or “Filipinovation,” for entrepreneurs. “Innovation is when you fix something, even if it’s not broken. In entrepreneurship, continuous innovation in products, processes, business model, is the only way to survive,” said Secretary Lopez. “Through the MOU, DTI and DOST will merge One Town One Product (OTOP) and Go Lokal entrepreneurs with DOST’s oneSTore.PH hubs. ‘OTOPrepreneurs’ may now also use DOST’s online store, oneSTore.PH, to sell their products”, Sec. de la Peña said. Meanwhile, DOST will also provide selected Negosyo Centers with S&T Nooks for those who want to access DOST’s resources but don’t have internet connection. MSMEs comprise 99.6% of enterprises and 70% of employment in the country, but only account for 35% – 40% of Gross Value Added contribution to the economy. Sec. Lopez said innovation can bridge this gap because when MSMEs transform raw materials into quality products, they can sell at premium prices and reach international markets. “President Duterte wants to make the MSMEs smarter and bigger, not just in number, but also in terms of contribution to the economy. It’s easy to become an entrepreneur—but to have high quality, differentiated products is the real challenge, but it is their ticket to greater success and better quality life,” added Sec. Lopez. DTI and DOST previously signed an MOU in 2017 to formulate and implement the Inclusive Filipinovation & Entrepreneurship Roadmap. To implement this, DTI has the following programs to help entrepreneurs, among others: Shared Service Facilities... read more
DTI-DOST to expand MSME marketing capabilities through OneSTore.ph
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will tie up with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) expand their market and reach clients online with the OneSTore.ph. “MSMEs are the backbone of the Philippine economy. And as part of President Rodrigo Duterte’s whole-of-government approach to assist MSMEs, we are teaming up with DOST to impact the lives of more Filipino entrepreneurs,” said DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez. The OneSTore.ph is a first government e-commerce platform (Business–to-Customer and Business-to-Business platform) dedicated to marketing high-quality Filipino products of MSMEs through the worldwide web by “bringing quality products at Filipino doorsteps.” This comes as DTI intensifies marketing capabilities of MSMEs to help them reach the mainstream market. Under the OneSTore.ph agreement, DTI will Promote the oneSTore.ph to MSMEs through Negosyo Centers as a platform where they can market their products on-line. At the same time, DTI will make Negosyo Centers accessible to clients of DOST and allow clients to display and dispatch their products with its payment and logistic partners in One Town One Product (OTOP) Philippines HubStores, subject to availability of space and to DTI priorities and promote oneSTore and provide signage for the spaces provided for oneSTore.ph and oneSTore hub in every OTOP Store identified as co-branded hub, among others. The One Town, One Product (OTOP) Philippines is DTI’s collaborative program with national government agencies and local government units as a customized intervention to level up the products of various localities and drive inclusive local economic growth. DOST, on the other hand, will develop...Digital Bohol to be launched soon
Bohol will soon enjoy a digital transformation as talks of “Digital Bohol” were initiated on August 27, 2016 at the Governor’s Mansion with Gov. Edgar M. Chatto, representatives of the Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bohol ICT Council, tourism players and some advisers. During the meeting, the group discussed the high level steps that will be taken for the Digital Bohol project. Among the components of the Digital Bohol project is a co-working space and shared facility for multimedia arts and a recording studio for developing audio and video content, connectivity for communications during disaster situations as well as for broadcasting announcements for government, business and academe, digital economy participation for MSMEs and more. The first action is to organize the self forming and organizing communications network that can be used for broadcasting important information during non-disaster scenarios. The same network can be used during disaster situations when cell sites are disabled. The idea is to setup the channels and organize Boholanos to use it on a daily basis for broadcasting important information so that everybody is ready to use the system during disaster scenarios. Users only need to use their smart phones using WiFi and Bluetooth connections. Another meeting was held with the technology enthusiasts and young entrepreneurs was held at Just Sizzling restaurant at 8PM on August 27. In this meeting the group talked about the possible contributions they can make as a group. It was agreed that the group form a small group of volunteers to lead the community building...Local News/ Bohol Balita
Auza.Net Accepts OJT Applicants for Summer 2016
Auza.Net is now accepting applications for the Summer On-the-Job Training Program for 2016. The company is looking for technology enthusiasts to participate in projects covering software development, website management and structured cabling for computer networks. Participants in this program must be graduating computer engineering, computer science and IT students in school year 2016-2017. The company will also accept applications for its startup internship program where the applicants will undergo real-world training in entrepreneurship. Participants in this program must be recent graduates of business or technology related courses and willing to be trained in sales and attend regular sales training sessions. Participants will earn commissions on actual sales generated during the program. To apply for these training programs, please send your application letter, resume and latest available TOR to jobs@auza.net. Please state if you are joining the OJT program or the intership. Interviews will be conducted later in March. Both programs will start on April 4,...Bohol ICT Council Leads BPO Initiatives
In 2015, the Philippines business process outsourcing (BPO) revenue was nearly US$22 Billion compared to the US$27 Billion of OFW remittances. The BPO industry is forecast to reach US$48 Billion by 2020. Bohol still lags behind many other provinces and cities in this industry with only a handful of homegrown BPO and KPO (knowledge process outsourcing) companies operating as of last year. Unfortunately for Bohol province, we experienced a setback in our efforts to attract large BPO companies to locate in the province after the 2013 earthquake. The next two years were spent on rehabilitation. The Bohol ICT Council, led by its Chairperson Ms. Delilah Biliran, is spearheading initiatives of the province in attracting BPO operators from Cebu, Manila and other cities to open up a facility in Bohol. The council had some level of success last year as we got a few seriously interested companies who did feasibility studies and conducted dialogues with the various stakeholders. However, the final decision to locate in Bohol is still elusive. Bohol must take a slice of the BPO industry if we are to ensure that the Boholanos have more job opportunities without having to migrate to other cities. We are promoting Bohol as an ecotourism destination and BPO jobs are a perfect complement to ecotourism because the BPO industry do not consume raw materials and do not have hazardous waste by products. For this reason, the council is working on several fronts: – encourage local real-estate investors to put up facilities that can be leased to BPO companies – encourage the local tech and maker communities to conduct and participate in...Sponsors Wanted for Startup Weekend Bohol
Why Support Startup Weekend Bohol? If you’re curious what Startup Weekend Bohol can do for you and your awesome business, well, here’s a list of benefits that you’ll be showered for your kind hearted gesture! 1. Get a Seat in the Spotlight Startup Weekend Bohol isn’t just an event. It is a BIG event. Last year, we had around (insert number of attendees here) that came all over Bohol and even outside Bohol just to get a taste of entrepreneurship. Sponsoring Startup Weekend Bohol will give you a chance to expose and market your own startup to early stage companies, entrepreneurs and prospective clients!!! You don’t only get the word out there about what your company is and who you are but you’ll also have the opportunity to find possible new leads. 2. Find Great Employees Startup Weekend Bohol attendees are no ordinary people. They’re innovators. They’re hungry. They’re all around awesome. When you put yourself out there, trying to build something, it’s a badge of honor. Not everybody has the guts to start something and that is what separates the average employee and the superstar employee! Startup Weekend attendees are a mixture of developers, designers, sales, admin, content creators and a whole lot more. Startup Weekend Bohol is a cornucopia of talent just waiting to be tapped! We don’t know, the employee that will help catapult your business into the clouds might be a Startup Weekend Bohol attendee. You don’t only get brand exposure from sponsoring Startup Weekend Bohol, you’ll also be able to network and connect with a lot of people. 3. Give back, give back and...CEDFIT holds Phil-IT General Certification Exam on Feb 27 at HNU
Cebu Educational Development Foundation for Information Technology (CEDF-IT) will conduct its next Phil IT General Certification Examination on February 27 at the Holy Name University on February 27, 2016. The registration is Php250 per examinee. Pre-registration is required at the CEDFIT website at http://cedfit.org/philitgce.php. The certification is conducted in collaboration with www.itpros.ph, the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), and the European IT Service Center Foundation (EITSC). The examination is open for all graduating Computer Science, Computer Engineering and IT students. The PHIL-IT GCE is considered as an overall evaluation of the graduate’s level of cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning as specified in B.S. Computer Science; B.S. Computer Engineering; B.S. Information Technology; and, B.S. Information Management curricula, as well as the graduate’s knowledge, skills, and attitudes pertinent to advanced or latest trends in IT as required by industry. The PHIL-IT GCE consists of a cluster of “generic examinations” that likewise assesses the graduate’s overall readiness to become a professional in both IT subjects and non-IT subjects. In a way, the PHIL-IT GCE serves as an interim solution for the need for a board examination, testing the IT skills of Filipino would-be professionals, with IT skills set by Filipino IT professionals, yet addressing international industry...24 VMs bid for May reelection
TAGBILARAN CITY, February 16, (PIA)—It is 50-50, and half of Bohol’s 48 vice mayors bid for a reelection and a fresh mandate while another half of the remaining towns would be electing new legislative heads, this coming May 9. Most of the vice mayors of Bohol first district, that is 10 out of 15, gun for reelection while electors from 5 towns would be choosing new second highest official, according to records obtained from the local Commission on Elections (COMELEC). It is 8 vice mayors of the second district needing a fresher mandate, while the remaining 6 would be known as Boholanos on the district elect for their local legislative heads. Bohol District 3 has 14 towns under it. With the biggest composition of towns in Bohol’s third District, only 6 of the 19 vice mayoralty seats are contested by incumbents aiming for re-election; the 13 seats left are free-for all the new bets. For reelection in Bohol’s first district vice mayors are Alburquerque’s Cayetano Doria Jr. (LP), Dauis’ Luciano Bongalos (LP), Panglao’s Pedro Fuertes (LP), Tagbilaran City’s Jose Antonio Veloso (LP), Corella’s Maria Asuncion Daquio (UNA). While Doria is a sure winner without any opposition in Alburquerque, it is different in Dauis. Bongalos will have to vote-slug it out with Pacifico Branzuela (independent) and Reynaldo Yana (PDP Laban). For Panglaom VM Fuertes meets former mayor Benedicto Alcala (Ind) for the legislative seat, while Tagbilaran City’s VM Veloso will have to prove superiority against Alfred Hontanosas (Ind). In Corella, VM Daquio will be challenged by independent candidate Nicanor Lumain and Vanessa Macarayan (PDP Laban) as Sikatuna’s Manigo meets Silverio...National News
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