MINERVA BC NEWMAN
CEBU CITY – The “One Town, One Product” (OTOP) program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) continues to elevate the status of over 1,000 micro small and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs) in the Visayas with an estimated sale of more than P100M from its various OTOP Fairs since the program was institutionalized in 2003.
DTI-Cebu opened its first OTOP Fair this year at the Ayala Center on November 24-28, featuring 29 OTOP- assisted MSMEs showcasing premium quality, innovative and competitive products from the processed food, homestyle, and wearables sectors, with an estimated two days’ sales of over P275,000 already.
According to Mark Aristotle Cabagnot, DTI-Cebu OTOP program manager and senior trade industry development specialist that for Cebu Province alone, the DTI has been assisting some 500 MSMEs and they continue to search for those emerging MSMEs that can be aided by the program’s various services.
DTI-7 also mounted the OTOP Regional Trade Fair dubbed as “Kalibutan Project” on June 24-26 this year, after two years of hiatus due to the pandemic and this is the first OTOP Fair in Cebu this year.
DTI-7 regional director, Maria Elena Arbon shared that OTOP Trade Fairs are mounted as a culmination of the agency’s efforts and initiatives in developing these MSMEs through series of services including product development, packaging, labelling and entrepreneurial and financial trainings and seminars.
“We plan to open an OTOP Hub, a permanent
showcase of local products here at the Ayala Center Cebu by the end of the year
to encourage people to our campaign ‘Support local and buy local, mga Bai!’
Arbon revealed.
Arbon said that OTOP Fairs are usually the venues to introduce MSMEs and tests for new markets of new products in terms of public and market acceptance. The program also determines that these are all locally-sourced out products and pride of place of a particular town, organization or MSME.
According to DTI-7, after a decade and a half of combined gains and challenges, OTOP remains to be a strategic tool that provides an ecosystem of assistance from local government units, national government agencies, and the private sector.
It is now transitioning to a convergent effort to its next phase of execution in the form of OTOP Next Gen. It covers only tangible products and skills-based services. Experiences, tourism activities, festivals are not covered.
Agri-based Products including coffee, cacao, agricultural produce; agri-processing such as processed meats, coconut oil, other; seafood preserved and processed.
Services that are skills-based and others including hilot, sculpting, wellness products such as essential oils, etc; industrial products, personal care as soaps, lotions and cosmetics are also considered under the OTOP program.
Cebu OTOP designers Alyssa Camille Baldelovar, Via Louise Biaco and Christine Villones. They are in-charged in helping MSMEs produce new designs and improve packaging and labeling.
The OTOP program is a platform for branding and marketing of local products and services with product development as its primary instrument of assistance. It has a comprehensive assistance package with the private-public partnership and collaboration to develop MSMEs, create jobs and stimulate both local and international trade.
OTOP program services include Product
Development, Design Services and Intervention, Packaging and Labeling, FDA,
Nutrifacts, and Testing. Assistance includes Technology Updating,
Capacity-Building, Brand Equity and Development, Intellectual Property
Assistance, Access to Finance, Marketing Platforms and Promotion. (Photos: MBCNewman)
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