NO: 38_2017N

Department of Trade and Industry 12

Release Date: October 9, 2017
Reference: DTI Regional Office 12
228.9837(083)
r12 @dti.gov.ph / www.dti.gov.ph
@DTI.Region 12 @DTI. Region 12 @DTI.Region12

DTI 12 Assistant Secretary Demphna Du-Naga graces

the Opening of the Lubi-Lubi Festival in Glan

Assistant Secretary Demphna Du-Naga of the Department of Trade and Industry

12 Regional Operations Group (DTI-ROG), together with Sarangani Governor Steve
Chiongbian Solon, graced the opening ceremony of the Lubi-Lubi Festival in Glan,
Sarangani Province last October 2, 2017.

Spearheaded by the Tourism Office of Glan Sarangani headed by Ms. Lodar

Dagoy, Tourism Officer, the Opening Program was also attended by DTI Sarangani OIC
Provincial Director Hazel Hautea, DTI South Cotabato Provincial Director Flora
Gabunales, representatives of the Philippine Coconut Authority, department heads of the
municipality of Glan, school heads, educators, students, municipal employees and Micro-
Small and Medium Enterprises in Glan.

The activity began with a ribbon-cutting of the 2nd Tour Town Glan Talents,
Tourism and Trade Bazar headed by Glan Mayor Victor James Yap, Governor Steve Solon
and DTI- ROG Assistant Secretary Demphna Du-Naga.

Vice Mayor Vivien Yap welcomed the group through a speech delivered in
Tagalog. She revealed that Glan is the oldest municipality in the region as it celebrates
its 103rd Foundation Anniversary. Among the towns in the country, it has the largest
coconut plantation area.

Mayor Victor James Yap, sounding sceptical in his speech, raised his sentiments
over the fact that since Glan is at the edge of Sarangani, services of national
government agencies, in general do not immediately reach the area. Because of this, the
municipality has its own Womb to Tomb Program to see to it that all major services of
the municipality of Glan will be present to assist its people right from the beginning of
their lives or even during the mothers pregnancy up to the time of interment, if needed.

Mayor Yap also raised that the Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso, one of
President Dutertes flagship project to fight loan sharks, which was lodged through the
Small Business Corporation (SBC) should be able to reach Glan soon so it can benefit
many people in the municipality. He also made some suggestions to improve the
program and expressed his willingness to work hand in hand with the national
government agencies to improve the municipalitys economy.

Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon enumerated the different business opportunities

in Glan such as in coconut water, coco sugar, among others. He also mentioned that
Glan is among Sarangani's treasures. He announced the P100M Ilaya DatalBukay road
project in Glan. He also informed the crowd that the Department of Tourism has funded
1 | Page DTI 12 Assistant Secretary Demphna Du-Naga graces the Opening of the Lubi-Lubi
Festival in Glan
P50M tourism-related road projects in some parts of Sarangani province. He gave an
assurance that the province will be fighting tooth and nail to get an extra budget from
the said national government agency to fund tourism-related road projects in Glan. He
also called for unity and cooperation among the people in the province to make
government endeavours a success.

Assistant Secretary Demphna Du-Naga, in her speech, addressed some

concerns raised by Mayor Victor James Yap early on in his speech. Speaking in Tagalog,
Asec. Du-Naga raised that she, being a former mayor of Masbate, plus a businessperson
coming from a Chinese descent herself, fully understands Mayor Yaps sentiments. She
also mentioned that the best leader a government can have is a businessperson with a
heart who can fully understand the predicaments of the micro and small business
entrepreneurs like him. She encouraged the mayor to put his sentiments and
suggestions over the P3 Program in writing so she can give feedback to the DTI
Management the moment she receives the document and formally raise them to the
corporation handling it. She explained that since the program is still new, it can still be
improved.

Asec. Du-Naga then assured the people of Glan that DTI will continue its efforts in
Championing Business in the country, especially that of the country side. This is through
DTIs program which she currently heads called the One Town One Product Next
Generation a.k.a OTOP NextGen that aims to help the MSMEs in the region to level up to
qualify in the export market. This is done by providing them training on product
development, packaging and labelling, as well as marketing. Asec. Demphna emphasized
that this is what she can offer, so far to the local government of Glan because this is
directly under her control. She then encouraged the LGU to coordinate with the DTI
Sarangani to avail of the funds from the OTOP Next Gen Program.

Asec. Du-Naga ended her speech by congratulating the local government of Glan
through the help of the provincial government of Sarangani in coming up with a festive
and noteworthy event as the Lubi Lubi Festival. She mentioned that Glan has become
her second home ever since she came to this place years ago through the Dagoy family.
For me, Glan is really one of the nicest place to stay in this region., she said.

After the program, a meeting between the Mayor and Vice-Mayor of Glan and
Asec. Du-Nagas team followed to further discuss the succeeding activities of the OTOP
Next Gen Program.

The P3 Program

Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-Asenso (P3) is a micro-financing program that is

handled by the Small Business Corporation (SBC), an umbrella organization under the
Department of Trade and Industry which has a separate organizational structure and
implementing policies. The role of DTI Regional and Provincial Offices is to help SB
Corporation launch and roll out the programs to the provinces. Sarangani Province is
among the pilot areas for the P3 program, however, initial tranche of its direct lending
fund was released in Alabel, Sarangani where a staff was deployed in the Negosyo
Center in Alabel to oversee the program. More than a hundred market vendors of Alabel
already benefited from the program. Currently, the SB Corporation is utilizing the
assistance of micro-financing institutions to reach beneficiaries in areas where there is
no SB Corp. staff such as in Malapatan, Maasim, and etc. It has also been rolled out in
all provinces of the region as well as nationwide but utilizes the assistance of micro-
financing institutions, like Radio Wealth Finance Corporation, Taytay sa Kauswagan
2/Page DTI 12 Assistant Secretary Demphna Du-Naga graces the Opening of the Lubi-Lubi
Festival in Glan
Incorporated, among others. Here in SOCCSKSARGEN, the accredited micro-financing
institutions are: 1) Malapatan Multipurpose Cooperative; 2) Alabel Government
Employees and Peoples MPC; 3) Glansar Credit Cooperative; 4) Kiamba Micro
Entrepreneurs MPC; 4) Glan Local Officials/ Employees MPC; 5) Sta. Cruz MPC and the
latest is 6) Mediatrix Multi-Purpose Cooperative.

Among the listed above, the GlanSar Credit Cooperative and Glan Local
Officials/Employees MPC were not yet able to proceed with the P3 operation because
they yet have to comply with some basic requirements such as the zero rate of
uncollected debts/credits.#### (DTI 12/VTP/HEH/RO/SP/ROG)

Prepared by:

VANESSA CLAIRE T. PLEA

Information Officer III

Reviewed by:

HAZEL E. HAUTEA
OIC PD
DTI Sarangani

Recommending Approval:

IBRAHIM K. GUIAMADEL
Regional Director

Approved for Release:

DEMPHNA DU-NAGA
Assistant Secretary
DTI-ROG

2/Page DTI 12 Assistant Secretary Demphna Du-Naga graces the Opening of the Lubi-Lubi
Festival in Glan