Thirty GTH firms now part of SPIN program

About 30 companies from the Gifts, Toys and Housewares Exporters (GTH-Cebu), are now actively participating in the government’s Subcontracting Partners for Innovation Network” or SPIN program.

After its formal launching held in Bohol province recently, former GTH-Cebu president Jenifer Cruz said, a number of exporters have started to express interest in joining the program, which is aimed at providing livelihood opportunities to communities in the “cleared-conflict” areas.

Out of 100 GTH-Cebu members, only 30 are now actively participating in the program. However, he said interest from other companies has started to heighten. While, other companies can not simply join the program, although they are willing, because they don’t have the right product for the target beneficiaries.

“We [GTH-Cebu] have already signed Memorandum of Agreement [MOA] with Department of Trade and Industry, Armed Forces of the Philippines, to formally roll out the training programs for the different identified communities,” Cruz told The Freeman.

SPIN, which is a joint initiative program DTI and some members of the Cebu-GTH, will intensify this livelihood program to, primarily help the 33 “cleared-conflict” areas in the region identified by the AFP.

According to Cruz, some 30 GTH member companies have already covered large number of barangays in Bohol, and some in Cebu area, and provided trainings to the townsfolk.

This program, according to Cruz could not only provide income opportunities for the residents, it will also aid exporters in improving efficiency and productivity.

“With wider options of sub-contractors, we are now able shortened our delivery time allowance, thus providing fast service to our global customers,” Cruz said.

In an earlier interview with DTI-7 regional director Asteria Caberte she said that the program will reach out other export sectors in Cebu, to expand the coverage of Subcontracting Partners for Innovation Network” or SPIN program.

Caberte said that the Fashion Accessories Manufacturers and Exporters in Cebu (FAME), and Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation Inc., (CFIF) are expected to join the campaign soon.

Hopefully, she said this development to include FAME and CFIF could expand the coverage of providing livelihood to poor Filipino families.

In the fashion accessory export sector, players will have to provide livelihood in “bead-making” works to the marginal poor, not only the “cleared-conflict” areas, which was the primary target of help of the program.

Cruz, who owns one of the largest home furnishing export manufacturing plants in Cebu, said that for his company alone, he could provide livelihood opportunities to as far as Leyte, and other parts of the Visayas. – Ehda M. Dagooc