MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is set to open equipment sharing facilities in Rizal and Laguna that will aid micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in ensuring food quality standards and development.
DTI Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya said the new equipment sharing facilities would increase productivity and improve efficiency of MSMEs operating within the provinces.
“The key to inclusive growth is our MSMEs. With the shared service facility launch in Rizal and Laguna, MSMEs cooperatives and entrepreneurs are provided with sophisticated equipment and machinery that will double their production and help them come up with export-ready food products,” Maglaya said.
The facilities will be opened at the University of Rizal System Morong Campus and Laguna State Polytechnic University, respectively.
DTI said the University of Rizal System Morong Campus facility would provide assistance needed by food industry MSMEs in Rizal and its neighboring provinces in various testing requirements of food products, water for safety, quality and standards assurance as well as in product research and development.
It will also offer affordable and reliable food analyses based on internationally-accepted standards.
The Laguna State Polytechnic University facility, meanwhile, will improve MSMEs’ production and processing efficiency by providing the required capital equipment to improve quality and safety of processed food products.
The shared service facility program of DTI is part of the agency’s Philippine MSME Development Plan which aims to accelerate MSMEs competitiveness by giving them access to energy-efficient technologies and more sophisticated equipment.
Since the program’s inception in 2013, the DTI has established 1,886 shared service facilities all over the country with over 230,000 MSMEs and potential entrepreneurs benefiting from the program.
The DTI said it targets to establish 400 more shared service facilities this year.