September 2016

7 & 18
Performance Magazine of DTI Regions

KALAMPUSAN

Kalampusan September 2016

INSIDE:

eptember saw a more comprehensive reporting of work accomplishments from the DTI regional
offices.
The weekly submission of success stories on SSF,
SMERA, Negosyo Center, Consumer Protection and
other programs and projects of the department is
aligned with the agencys direction towards evidence
-based reporting.
Also, during the month, the DTI 7 office tested the
new software called the Client Engagement Management System (CEMS) which is meant to facilitate
gathering of provincial data to support the monthly
accomplishment report submitted to Head Office.
The DTI also boosted its information drive through
the active use of social media platforms.

http://kalampusan.weebly.com/

Fish Processing SSF

realizes Damgos
ream

An Entrepreneur
Rises from
Yolandas
Devastation
Income Opportunity
from Rubber
Processing
Building a successful
business on Native
Cacao
BN Registration for
remote barangays

Enabling Business Empowering Consumers

Kalampusan September 2016

Shared Service Facility / Promotion of Green Economic Development

Damgo sa Kaugmaon Inc., a group of fisherfolk engaged in

the production of dried marine products in Bantayan Island, is taking a greater role in the fishing industry value
chain in Cebu after being a recipient of 2 solar powered
fish dryers Shared Service Facility (SSF) from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
With the provision of the solar-powered fish dryers, the
group now produces dried fish that has less than 20%
moisture content and of better quality. Also, the product
has low susceptibility to contaminants as it is processed in
a controlled environment. With the machines, Damgo
earns up to Php 936,000 per month, a big increase from its
previous Php 540,000 per month.
Since solar-powered dried fish are more expensive than
ordinary sun-dried fish, DTI assists the community to link
their products to bigger markets. Recently, Damgo sa
Kaugmaon got their first order of dried marine products
(danggit and dried nokus) for export to Australia.
DTI is also linking the group with institutional markets,
pasalubong centers, hotels and resorts which serve dried
danggit for breakfast to their clients who are also tourists.
DTI is presently helping the group on improving their product packaging and labelling.
Apart from ensuring continued supply of commodities in
the market and ensuring prices remain reasonable, DTIs
role is also to encourage the establishment of livelihood
generating projects and help improve productivity of entrepreneurs, particularly MSMEs in countryside.
Damgo began as a group of fishermen who sought to attain an alternative livelihood after super typhoon Yolanda
hit the island of Bantayan in 2013. The typhoon destroyed
the islands major economic drivers tourism, poultry and
marine industry.
Allan Monreal, Head Dreamer, said that Damgo is a Cebuano translation for the English word Dream because
the groups creation was to realize their vision of the future.

It started with 2300 families and with 25 peoples organizations. The groups ultimate goal
is to prepare locals especially fishermen to
become socially and environmentally responsible.
Currently, there are 3 main projects under
Damgo. One is the Back to Sea Project
where fishermen are assisted in regaining
their livelihood by providing them fiber glass
boats instead of wooden boats. This helps in
reducing the cutting of trees.
Another project of Damgo is the Production of
Earth Block Project. Earth Block is a nontoxic, environmentally safer way to build
structures. It is a viable alternative to sea
sand blocks. Masonry workers are paid a
minimum wage with SSS benefits and with
profit share.
Lastly is the Solar Fish Dryer Project which
the group implements with the DTI. Under this
project, the fish bought from fisherfolks sell for
a premium price. Moreover, fisherfolks are
given a quota. In this way, less fish are
caught and ecological balance is maintained.
Around 400 members from 8 peoples organizations with an average of 50 members per
organization have benefitted from this project.
Meanwhile, the Promotion of Green Economic
Development, a project of the DTI with the
German government, recently produced a video that presents the benefits reaped by businesses that have opted to go GREEN. Featuring MSMEs supported by ProGED, the video has been uploaded online and is shared to
the public through the following link: https://
youtu.be/q_gZcmw1heM

http://kalampusan.weebly.com/

Enabling Business Empowering Consumers 2

Kalampusan September 2016

Negosyo Center

Official data of the trade agency revealed that

there were 7,878 single proprietorship businesses
that have registered this year, with a majority of
these being in the food business. Food businesses
accounted for 31 percent, followed by real estate
and construction.
Of the total number of business names that DTI
registered in the first semester, 90 percent are
new while the rest are renewed registrations.
Capitalization for these businesses reached P2.3
billion and generated 12,221 jobs in total.
In terms of capitalization, real estate businesses
got the highest with 26 percent, followed by the
construction business with 21 percent of total capitalization. For employment, DTI Cebu said construction business generated the highest with 41
percent, followed by food business with 21 percent
of the total employment. Since 2013, DTI Cebu
has recorded increasing business name registrations. The highest recorded was in 2011 with
14,000
business
names
registered.
Bienvinida Navoa, 64, recently registered her flower shop business for the first time in 20 years. She was able to get her business name in less than 4 minutes at the newly launched Negosyo Center in Carcar City, Cebu.
The presence of several Negosyo Centers scattered in key areas in Cebu province have made it easier for entrepreneurs like
Bienvinida Navoa to pursue and open up a business, This has
redounded to an increase in businesses registered at the DTI as
compared to last year.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has reported a four
(4) percent increase of registered businesses in Cebu Province
in the first half of 2016 versus the same period last year.

https://youtu.be/q_gZcmw1heM

http://kalampusan.weebly.com/

In the past few years, DTI focused its efforts to

improve efficiency in business regulatory procedures and improve ease of doing business which a
business must undertake with several government
agencies
over
its
typical
life
cycle.
Significant reforms made included streamlining
processes, reducing the time to complete a procedure, and eliminating constraints in processes
from start to end of a business life cycle.
At the local level, DTI and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) jointly issued a
directive to all local government units to reduce
the time to process new business registrations. #

The Promotion of Green Economic Development, a project of the DTI with the
Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale
Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, produced a
video that presents the benefits reaped by
businesses that have opted to go GREEN.
Featuring MSMEs supported by ProGED,
the video has been uploaded online and is
shared to the public through the following
link: https://youtu.be/q_gZcmw1heM

Enabling Business Empowering Consumers 3

Kalampusan September 2016

Negosyo Center / Business Consultancy / Financing Facilitation

Arnado does not have a college diploma. But what she

lacked in education she made up for in determination
and street smarts which are necessary to deal with the
potential difficulties in her environment.
Born and raised in Barangay Bagtic, San Remigio, Cebu, Arnado moved to Cebu City with her parents after
her high school graduation with hopes of having a better
future.
She began her adventure in business as a sales woman
in Familia House and La Nueva for 3 years and 1 year
respectively. She got married thereafter.
In 1995, she went back to
San Remigio and was offered a job as treasurer in
Barangay Bagtic. While doing so she engaged in raising animals and cultivating
vegetables. One day, she
resigned from her job at the
barangay and opened a
small sari-sari store with a
capital of only P 10,000.00.
She was the business owner and the vendor as well.
Unfortunately, her small
business closed because of
mismanagement.
Arnado
explained that many of her customers accumulated
debts they couldnt pay and she also incurred debts with
a loan shark.
She decided to move back to Cebu City and sell fruits
on a consignment basis at the Carbon Market. The money she earned was used to fund her familys daily expenses. However, she had a difficult time adjusting to
life in the city. Moreover, her business suffered because
of stringent rules and regulations at the market. Her stall
was demolished by the Cebu City Hall's Prevention,
Restoration, Order, Beautification and Enhancement
(Probe) team. This made her decide to return to San
Remigio. After all, nahiubos, nangluod, nitagam ug dili
na gyud ko magnegosyo kay kapila na ko na-down,
She said while sadly recalling the incident
Then, super typhoon Yolanda struck in 2013. The monster storm devastated several business and residential
structures in Northern Cebu. Arnados family was
among those who lost everything they owned.
But after her heart-breaking loss, help from government
and private sectors poured in. Arnado said that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) was the first government agency that reached out to help her recover
from the calamity and assisted her in growing her business today.

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In December 2014, Arnado attended the Retail Trade

Management Seminar conducted by the DTI - Cebu
Provincial Office at Bogo Sports Complex. She received a starter kit amounting to P 5,000.00 in the
same year and was able to open her sari-sari store the
next day. She also received additional capital after she
registered her business name with the agency.
After the Retail Trade Seminar, Arnado is now better
informed on how to handle her sari-sari store. She
learned a lot of things at the seminar. Kung asa ka
napalpak, ayaw na buhata, Arnado said. Kaniadto
daghan siyag utang karon wala na niya ni buhata.
Kung anaay mangutang okay ra kanang kida-kida ra.
Other learnings included dili
kinahanglan mag - ginansya
kag dagko, bahalag ginagmay basta kanunay. Bisan
ginagmay, kung maka-uyon
ang mga tawo, daghan ka ug
halin. In effect, ma-rolling na
ang kwarta.
She advises new entrepreneurs to start small and then
gradually grow the business.
An entrepreneur must always
have an inventory or do monitoring of her store at least
once a month, she said in the vernacular, and to canvass first before procurement of goods. She also believes that an entrepreneur must know sellers that offer
good quality products at the lowest price. Nowadays,
she thinks more of buying goods to display at her store
rather than spending money on groceries for her family.
The following are her secrets to success:
(1) Always pray to God.
(2) Establish correct pricing of products (do not compete with low prices offered in the city or in the market).
Arnado implements a 10-30 % mark-up depending on
the kind of products that she is selling. From the P
5,000.00 starter kit, she now has a P 5, 000.00 plus
monthly net income.
(3) Identify the products needed by customers and
then buy these in the city.
(4) Regularly monitor the store
(5) Do your own inventory.

Enabling Business Empowering Consumers 4

Kalampusan September 2016

Activities in Photos

(Photo above) The Negosyo Center in Carcar City opened on August 24, 2016. There are currently 8 Negosyo
Centers in Central Visayas and 12 more are scheduled to open before Oct. 8 this year.
(Photo below ) Larena is the first LGU in Siquijor province to establish a Negosyo Center following the launching
of the provincial center at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Siquijor Provincial Office on July 2015. The
center opened on August 17 this year

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Enabling Business Empowering Consumers 5

Kalampusan September 2016

BN Registration & SRS Accreditation for remote barangays

For this activity, DTI clients in Negros Oriental

saved around 17,802 on transportation. They
also saved money on food and lodging.
In just 6 months, a net benefit of (33,508) or
52% of the cost of the solar power generator was
maximized by DTI and its clients

Go Green Rehistro, a project of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Negros Oriental
which aims to assist MSMEs in far-flung areas of
the province in starting their business, registered
126 business names in 9 mountain and coastal
barangays in 6 months.
Using a solar power generator with built-in inverter, two laptops, LTE Wireless Broadband and
printer with scanner, DTI reached out to clients
who found it physically and financially disadvantageous for them to go to the DTI office or Negosyo Centers. DTI services such as Business
Name (BN) Registration, Service and Repair
Shop (SRS) Accreditation were brought to their
place of business at no additional expense on
their part other than to pay for the registration
fee.

Clients in Negros Oriental, especially those in remote barangays, still prefer the traditional method
of registering their business name. This means
micro and small entrepreneurs in the province
preferred over-the-counter or face-to-face transactions with tellers (In 2015, 77% BN registrations
were transacted through tellers). This is probably
due to the fact that majority of the applicants do
not have access to the internet and/ or are not
internet savvy.
Currently, there are still micro and small businesses in Negros Oriental that Go Green Rehistro
needs to encourage to register with the DTI.
These businesses are either those that have stalls
in public markets or are located in far flung barangays. Most of these businesses are sole proprietorships where the business is owned and managed by one person who cant find the time to
leave the store in order to register a business
name. The reason for such reluctance could be
because these entrepreneurs in remote areas
have to close their stores for a day or two which
would result to loss of income. #

Go Green Rehistro has already registered business names in the following

mountain and coastal barangays: Ali-is and
Boyco, Bayawan City; Manalongon, Sta.
Catalina; Panalaan Bais; Okiot Bais;
Bonawon Siaton; Lumbangan, Mabinay;
Tambulan, Tayasan, and Tambo, Ayungon.
The farthest barangay is Ali-is Bayawan with
an estimated distance of 26 kilometers
(kms) from Bayawan proper (Dumaguete
City to Bayawan City is 100 kms). The highest mountain barangay visited by Go Green
Rehistro was Banban, Ayungon with estimated 900 meters above sea level. DTI
staff usually had to use the habal-habal
(motorcycle) as the mode of transportation
when visiting these remote areas.
http://kalampusan.weebly.com/

Enabling Business Empowering Consumers 6

Kalampusan September 2016

Activities in Photos

(Photo above) PD Lea Gonzales turns-over BUB check to Mayor Jose Nadie Arceo of the Municipality of
Hinigaran, Negros Occidental.
(Photo below ) SME Counselors Briefing with ARD Nelia Navarro at Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.

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Enabling Business Empowering Consumers 7

Kalampusan September 2016

Activities in Photos

(Photo above) Capability Building Training for Livelihood & Enterprise Development of DTI through Cebu Provincial
Government In Partnership with the City Government of Bogo completed the second training/seminar. The
Bookkeeping seminar was facilitated by Mr. Julio Ursonal Jr., CPA from 1975 Peoples Accounting. Held at the Bogo
Lites Training Center, La Paz Bogo City last August 16-18, 2016.
(Photo below ) Negros Trade Fair was held at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City from September 14 to 18,
2016. Negros Trade Fair 2016 highlights tourism with the main focus on the richness of biodiversity in the island,
thus bannering the theme Biodiversity in Tourism.

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Enabling Business Empowering Consumers 8

Kalampusan September 2016

Shared Service Facility

From Php 240,000 in 2012, the Responsive and

United Bayawan Believers for Economic Recovery
Cooperative (RUBBERCO) generated sales of
around Php 2.825 Million in June 2016 for the
production of rubber cuplumps and rubber sheets.
The coops production volume of dry rubber increased from 0.700 metric tons of rubber
(cuplumps) a month in 2014 to 1.5 metric tons of
rubber (rubber sheets-65%; cuplumps-35%). in
2016.
The cooperative also saw the increase of its famer
members from 90 to 150 tilling a total area of 800
hectares planted to rubber. Currently, there are at
least 550 persons directly and indirectly employed
in the industry.
Because of its impressive performance, RUBBERCO was
awarded the best performing shared service facility in Central Visayas under income potential category during the recently concluded DTI service caravan entitled Negosyo
Consumer at Iba Pa (NKATBP) .
Indeed, RUBBERCO has achieved a lot since it received
from the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) a rubber
sheet processing Shared Service Facility (SSF) in Bayawan
City, Negros Oriental in 2014. An SSF was turned over to
the coop by the department in order to improve the quality
of rubber produced by farmers from raw rubbers, to increase the income of rubber farmers of RUBBERCO by at
least 40% thru value-adding and to further improve the services of RUBBERCO to its members.
Tools given by the DTI included six units of rubber sheet
processing equipment, six units of weighing scales, one unit
of baling machine, and 150 units of coagulating plastic
trays.
The potential market for rubber is unlimited because of the
huge market demand. In the modern world, these products
take many different forms and some, without a person
knowing, are made entirely of rubber.
Rubber is widely used largely due to its beneficial proprieties like strength, long lasting, water resistance and heat
resistance all these benefits makes this material perfect for
tire production, in fact a large percentage of rubber production goes into the automotive industry. Other benefits like
being non slip, soft, durable, resilient makes this material

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the first choice for playground equipment, shoes,

mats, flooring, healthcare supplies, household supplies, balls, toys and thousands of other rubber
products. Used rubber tires are often recycled to
make other items like mulch, shoes, bags, jewelry
and coats. It is safe and reliable and seen as a
valuable material by many. Rubber is also good for
the environmental because, according to a study,
rubber trees can capture more carbon dioxide and
emit more oxygen compared to other kinds of
trees.
Rubber is extracted from rubber trees. A typical
rubber tree can produce for about 25 years. Harvesting can begin once the rubber trees are five
years old. High-yield rubber clones have been
made for big commercial rubber farms. The main
source of natural rubber is Asia. Asia accounts for
almost 90% of all output. A climate with heavy rainfall and zero frost is required to grow rubber trees.
Negros Oriental is considered an ideal area for
rubber plantation because of its vast areas suitable
for rubber trees. Bayawan City is the only local
government unit in the province that has adopted
the propagation of rubber trees since 2004.
The SSF Project of the DTI is to provide specialized machinery and equipment to cooperatives and
industry associations to help them increase
productivity, improve product quality, and lower
processing costs. The SSF project also intends to
generate more sales, jobs, and employment opportunities for the industry. #

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Kalampusan September 2016

Trade Fairs / Product Development / Enterprise Building

Herbanext Laboratories,
(natural and organics)

Inc.

Non-food
Tribal Miracle Oil, a local producer from Negros Oriental that
partners with Indigenous Peoples communities
Tourism sector
Azatri Souvenirs (novelties and
souvenirs category)

The most innovative Negrense products were recognized during the 26th Bulawan Awards of the Association of Negros Producers (ANP) last August 2 this year
at Robinsons Place Bacolod.
The ANP, based in Negros Occidental, awarded members of the association under the Fashion and Garments, Gifts, Decors and Houseware, Food, Natural
and Organics and Tourism sectors engage in product
innovation, packaging and / or development of new
designs.
This years winners are:
Fashion and Garments
Vivo Handicrafts (bags category)
Pings Knitwear (garments category)
KArte Handicrafts and Souvenir (fashion jewelry category)
Gifts, Decors and Houseware
Silay Export, Inc. (tabletop category)
Tumandok Crafts Industries (home furnishings & furniture categories)
4J Exclusive (luminary category)
Food
Sugarlandia (flour and sugar-based categories)
Adings Gourmet Tuyo (deli category)
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Bulawan (Ilonggo for gold)

Awards, is an annual productdesign competition of the Association of Negros Producers
(ANP). The competition showcases the ingenuity of the Negrense entrepreneur and brings
out excellence in their craftsmanship.
The Awards is part of the associations preparation for the upcoming annual Negros Trade
Fair in September. This is a marketing activity
that draws buyers resulting in product sales
for exhibitors.
Negros producers and manufacturers are
challenged every year to innovate and create
new product lines, bringing out the best from
each enterprise.
Bulawan Awards aims to provide an incentive
for its members and to encourage them toward more ingenuity, creativity and commitment to product excellence. The competition
encourages ANP members to cater to the
changing market trends in the volatile local
and international markets
The DTI has been an active partner of ANP
for several years in the development and promotion of micro, small and medium enterprises thru product development, trade fairs, and
enterprise capability building initiatives. #

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Kalampusan September 2016

SME Development / Product Development / Trade Fair

You can hear the tinkle of glass chimes as the wind

passes through. These chimes, once medicine bottles
now flattened and strung together, come from the factory of Yssas Crafts owned by Precy Perez.
A former Chemical Engineering professor at the University of Negros Occidental-Recolletos, and University of St. La Salle, Precy Perez was working with the
Department of Science and Technology where exposure to the programs at the department encouraged
her to study ceramic-making and to put up her ceramic
business with friends. To reach more buyers, she
would attend trade fairs to showcase her products.
It was in 2001 when Precy became a member of the
Association of Negros Producers (ANP) as a seller of
ceramic products. As an ANP producer, she continued
attending trade fairs for exposure. One day, someone
approached her with a photograph of a flattened bottle
and asked her if she can make some. She readily
said, Yes. Precy shares a dirty little secret: she had
absolutely no idea how to do it.
That daring move to take on the task and learn along
the way became the door to a more exciting venture. The encouragement of famous Bacolod interior
decorator Gigi Campos is noteworthy in Precys transition from ceramic production to glass pressing. In 2012, at the SM Megamall, Precy displayed 20
bottle chimes at a Department of Trade and Industry
(DTI) trade fair. She was still unpacking her wares
when her chimes were bought by one excited buyer
who just happened to pass by. Then, as she was just
taking out more, someone came along and asked to
buy all of them. There was none to spare, of course,
and told him that she can bring more tomorrow. At
that trade fair, Precy sold 40 pieces of chimes be-

cause that was all she had.

But as fairy tales go, happiness is just around
the corner. From the 40 pieces of chimes, her
oven now produces 2,000 pieces a month.
The slumped bottles by Yssas Crafts come in
various forms for various functions. Large flattened ones make unusual cheeseboards, or
printed with uplifting biblical quotes. Smaller
bottles become candle holders, vases, and, of
course, the chimes. One may order the standard designs of the producer and also commission for a particular look for the bottles and ceramics. Dont even think of looking for other
suppliers; Yssas Crafts is the only one in the
country that produces flattened bottles.
Fairy godmothers are a-plenty now and can be
found even outside the Philippines. As of the
moment, Yssas Crafts is filling orders for
slumped bottles for the United States, Belgium
and Switzerland. Who would have thought
that recycled bottles would be the pot of gold
after dismal rainy days for Precy Perez? This
is what happens when one has great faith in
God and believes in miracles.
The proprietress DTI services which included
product development, trade fairs, skills and
managerial trainings. The DTI is also an active
partner of ANP in the development and promotion of micro, small and medium enterprises. #

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Kalampusan September 2016

Product Development / Trade Fair

on a hot day. Other activities of the cooperative

include relending and customer store operations.
Through product development, they were able to
produce a new product line which is the Ginger
Candy in 2012 and another product which is the
Turmeric Powder in April 2016.

Candabong Rural Improvement Club Multipurpose

Cooperative in Loboc, Bohol was originally composed of 63 female members way back in year
1989.

The cooperative then was processing a variety of

products such as homemade soap, salabat or
ginger powder and the like. However, in the last
few years they decided to focus on processing only salabat powder.
In November 1991, the group was able to register
with the Cooperative Development Authority
(CDA). They were able to secure FDA License To
Operate in December 2010.
Most of its women-members did the actual processing and cooking of the Salabat (ginger powder) while the men were planted the native ginger
herb. These women and men always ensure that
the high quality of the Salabat is maintained and
enjoyed by their local customers.
An opportunity for business growth came when
they partnered with the Local Government Unit of
Loboc. The coop was able to concoct a healthy
ginger beverage, a much improved Loboc Salabat.
Its unique soothing blend of sweetness and zing is
ideal for relaxing a sore throat. The ginger tea is
best prepared with lemon, honey or peppermint
and may be served hot or cold. Loboc Salabat is
noted to be a perfect hot drink on a cold morning
and an excellent refreshing ice-packed beverage
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The Department of Trade and Industry Bohol Provincial Office has been supportive in the development of the ginger-based business by extending
business consultancies and capability trainings,
specifically on food safety and Good Manufacturing Practices. Product Development initiatives
were also conducted for the improvement of other
ginger-based products. With the SSF, the production volume of the cooperatives salabat is now
estimated between 1,000-1,200 kilos per month
compared to only 400-500 kilos before the facility
and machineries.
Gone were the days that we used to grate the ginger by our fingers, Mrs. Julieta Palen, the Chairperson, happily shared with DTI staff during one of
the monitoring visits. Our production was less by
then, since our hands could not stand the long
hours of the traditional way of processing the salabat, Mrs. Palen added. Our pin hopes is to capture and be seen in the international market. We
also hope for the continued support of DTI and
other agencies and for this reason, I, together with
the member-processors of Candabong RIC MPC
will do our best efforts to sustain this project, disclosed Mrs. Palen.
The SSF was able to address the gaps and bottlenecks in the supply chain of the enterprise through
the appropriate manufacturing tools, equipment
and technologies being used by the processors.
With SSF, the coop now is producing 300 packs
per week of ginger candy what used to be a 100
packs. And the market is expanded to other cities
and provinces like Cagayan de Oro City and Cebu.
The cooperative now has more or less 20 processor-members as direct beneficiaries doing the processing with a daily income of PhP300. Five direct
raw materials suppliers and some 60 farmersuppliers are also enjoying from the industry. #

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Kalampusan September 2016

PCAB Licensing

The CIAP is an attached agency of DTI and is

mandated under Presidential Decree 1746 and
Executive Order 133 to oversee the construction
industry.

Applications by Central Visayas contractors for Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) licenses and certification have increased by more than 21.6
percent for the first half of 2016.
This is according to a report from the Construction
Industry Authority of the Philippines (CIAP) window at
the Department of Trade and Industry Regional Office
VII (DTI-7) in Cebu City.
For the period January to June 2016, a total of 416
applications were received by DTI-7's PCAB window
as compared to 342 for the same period in 2015.
Among these applications, 298 are regular applications while 50 are applications for registration (ARC),
five are for special licenses while two applications are
for Amendment of Managing Officers (AMO).
A majority or 461 of the 529 applications for the first
semester of 2016 came from contractors based in
Cebu while 28 are from Bohol, 18 from Negros, 5
from Siquijor, 17 from other areas in the Visayas.

DTI said that more Central Visayas contractors

are now filing their applications through the CIAP
window at DTI-7s regional office because of its
accessibility and the ease of processing of their
application. In 2015, 97.5 percent or 516 of the
529 PCAB applications were approved.
Meanwhile, Cebu and Bohol were among the top
10 provinces with the most number of construction activities in 2015, reflecting the continued
boom in the construction industry, according to
the Philippines Statistics Authority (PSA) data.
PSA data showed that Cebu recorded a total of
4,772 construction last year, up 3.6 percent, ranking sixth. While Bohol saw a 3.5 percent rise in
construction activities in 2015 to 4,651, ranking
seventh.
In general, Central Visayas as a region, composed of Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor, recorded the
most number of constructions in the Visayas area. Region 7 ranked fourth in terms of the number
of construction activities last year, totaling to
12,824. #

http://youtu.be/N5vj8Osfrqk

OTOP STORETINDAHANG PINOY CEBU.

OTOP Store, Cotcot, Lilo-an, Cebu, Philippines.

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Kalampusan September 2016

SME Development / Trade Fair

A lot of people are stuck in the daily grind of employment because that has been instilled to children
of Filipino families. Study hard and get a good job,
young people were once told in order to become
successful in life.
That piece of advice was embraced by Cecilia
Plotea while she was a student then. Eventually,
true to the promise given to the diligent and obedient child, she was able to land a good job at
Nivico.
Her early forced retirement from the defunct company following the People Power Revolution, was a
life changing event for Ms. Plotea. She did not
want to end up jobless and without a source of income to augment her familys meagre income.
Married and with three kids, Cecilia turned to making fresh breads because of her interest in baking. After all,
her mother, Clara who was into bread-making, had great
influenced over her life.
With P3,000.00 as start-up capital and used drums heated
with firewood as her improvised oven, Cecilia established
Claras Food Products in 1987. She initially baked various
breads from two (2) sacks of flour daily.
Though she made good breads, the proprietress thought
that she could hardly sustain the business at the rate it was
going. The profit margin was not that big and the returns as
well as the collectibles were unbearable, she said. With
this, she sought ways to maximize her profit with the work
that her family puts in. Two (2) years after, she diverted her
efforts in making specialty products, instead of baking
breads.
One of Cecilias aces was her baker. He was good at making different baked products so they were able to produce
barquillos, baadas, piaya, butter cookies and many more.
These new products led the proprietorship to expanded opportunities. Instead of peddling, they began to supply their
goods on consignment in groceries and supermarkets. That
resulted in an overwhelming increase in profits because
pasalubong products do not require much flour compared to
their previous products, a longer shelf life, and consequently
they could price products at premium.
Her joining the Association of Negros Producers (ANP)
hatched more opportunities for the business. With ANP, she
was able to display her products at the showroom, got more
exposure and increased product sales. She has been motivated to also innovate because of the Bulawan Awards
which is conducted annually.

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The Bulawan Awards inspired her to develop

Goats Milk Barquillos, which is now her best-selling
product. This sought-after product can be purchased from premier establishments like Virgies
Pasalubong, Pendys, and Rowenas in Tagaytay.
One key success factor behind Claras Food Products is Cecilias willingness to innovate. She was
the first one to come up with the flavoured barquillos. But while it was a hit and was also emulated,
she stopped production because she didnt feel
comfortable about adding food colors to her products. She wanted to make them as natural as possible.
Mrs. Plotea is also an advocate for continuous
learning. As officer of the Association of Negros
Occidental Food Producers (ANOFP), a DTIassisted organization, she has been availing of various DTIs programs and services. She attended
seminars on improving business management
skills, marketing seminars, enhancing productivity,
packaging & labelling development, barcoding,
product development, joining to trade fairs as well
as access to finance.
At present, Claras Food Products is enjoying the
fruit of thy labor. For nearly three (3) decades, the
business continues to sell quality pasalubong food
items and provide employment to those in the countryside. Cecilia is now happy and content as her

goals have already been achieved.#

Enabling Business Empowering Consumers 14

Kalampusan September 2016

Philippines

KALAMPUSAN
http://kalampusan.weebly.com/

EDITORIAL BOARD

Executive Editor
Asteria Caberte
DTI 7 Regional Director

Writer / Editor
Lay-out Artist
Jojisilia Villamor

I.T. Support
Jerome Elarcosa &
Bernard Cabasisi

Contributors
Angeline Gonzales
Shirelyn Villamor
Jose Somido
Lea Gonzales
Chrisdy Saagundo
Romel Amihan
Maria Teresa Tay

REGIONAL OFFICE
Regional Director ASTERIA C. CABERTE
Assistant Regional Director NELIA F. NAVARRO
3rd Flr, WDC Bldg.,Osmena Boulevard, cor. P.Burgos, Cebu City
Tel. # (63)(032) 255-0036 / 255-0037
Fax # (63)(032) 253-7465
email: dti_7@yahoo.com / dticentralvisayas@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/dtiregion7
http://dti7updates.tumblr.com/
BOHOL PROVINCIAL OFFICE
OIC - PD MARIA SOLEDAD LAXA BALISTOY
2F FCB Bldg., CPG Ave., Tagbilaran City
Tel. # (63) 038-501-8260
Fax # (63) 038-412-3533
email: dtibohol@yahoo.com
CEBU PROVINCIAL OFFICE
Provincial Director: MA ELENA C. ARBON
DTI Building, Osmena Boulevard, corner Lapulapu Street, Cebu City
Tel. # (63)(032) 255-6971 / 255-3926
(63)(032) 412-1944 / 412-1945
email: dticebuphil@yahoo.com / dticebuphil@gmail.com
SIQUIJOR PROVINCIAL OFFICE
Provincial Director NIMFA M. VIRTUCIO
CF Bldg., Legaspi St., Siquijor, Siquijor
Tel. # (63)035-480-9065
Fax # (63) 035-344-2238
Email: dtisiquijor@yahoo.com
NEGROS ORIENTAL PROVINCIAL OFFICE
Provincial Director JAVIER FORTUNATO, JR
2F Uymatiao Bldg., San Jose Street. Dumaguete City
Tel. # (63)(035) 422-2764
Fax # (63)(035) 225-7211
Email: dtinegor@gmail.com
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL PROVINCIAL OFFICE
Provincial Director LEA T. GONZALES
3F Prudential Life Building,
San Juan & Luzurriaga Streets, Bacolod City
Tel # (63) (034) 396-9084
Telefax # (63) (034) 433-0250 / 704-2203
Email : RO6.NegrosOccidental@dti.gov.ph

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Enabling Business Empowering Consumers 15