Alabastro visits DOST-assisted enterprises in Bacolod

May 16, 2009 – 5:15:19 PM

BACOLOD CITY, May 18 (PNA) The team of Science and Technology Secretary Estrella Alabastro visited on Wednesday four enterprises in Bacolod City being assisted by her department with funding and technology interventions.

Alabastro came with DOST Regional Director Rowen Gellonga, Assistant Secretary Carol Yorobe, and Director Nuna Almanzor of the Industrial Technology Development Institute.

One of the companies Alabastro visited is 3 G’s Aqua Venture, a prawn farming business owned by spouses Gerardo and Irma Joy Javelosa.

Costing P4.096 million, the project includes a beneficiary investment of P3.298 million and a DOST Innovation System Support Fund P798,000.

Under the project value-adding for vannamei or white shrimps, the company is being assisted by the DOST in upgrading its production facilities to improve product quality and increase productivity and in packaging and labeling. Impacts of interventions include increased production volume, improved product quality, and prolonged freshness of products.

Another DOST client is Pueblo Bakeshop, a producer of pasalubong products being distributed by its marketing arm, Quan.

Owned by Agnes Cuenca, the food company’ project involves the upgrading of its production facilities, costing P7.565 million, of which P470,500 is DOST’s support fund. With interventions such as trainings and consultancy on food processing and productivity improvement, Pueblo Bakeshop has improved its product quality and increased production capacity.

The Golden Furnishing, which manufactures resin-laminated export products, is also receiving DOST assistance in upgrading its production facilities with the aim to minimize health hazards in the finishing section and speed up drying of finished products, among others, leading to improved product quality and increased production quality.

The award-winning company, owned by Jaime Chan, has a project cost of P12.616 million, including P547,000 from DOST.

Also being assisted by DOST is Herbanext Inc., headed by Philip Cruz, which produces nature-based products that promote and maintain health.

With a project cost of P4.723 million, including an P850,000 assistance from DOST, the company is upgrading its herbal food supplement production facilities to improve product quality and increase productivity. It also availed of consultancy on food safety and productivity improvement. As a result, it reported an increased sale of 24 percent, increased production volume, market expansion, and improved product quality.

The four enterprises are DOST clients under its Small Enterprises Technology Upgrading Program or SETUP that encourages and assists micro, small and medium scale businesses to implement technological innovations and improvements in their operations.

Through SETUP, they are able to address their technical problems through DOST technology transfer and technical interventions.

DOST is providing a wide-range of assistance to our micro, small and medium enterprises which are the backbone of our economy. We are making sure they are able to survive the financial crisis. * Gellonga said. (PNA)