DOST upgrades 3 Baguio businesses with P3.2-M

By Carlito C. Dar

BAGUIO CITY – The Dept. of Science and Technology has allotted P3.2 million to upgrade three micro, small and medium enterprises here with technological assistance to improve their productivity through the DOST’s small enterprise technology upgrading program or SETUP.
    DOST Cordillera  regional director Nancy Bantog and DOST Baguio – Benguet provincial S&T center director Sheila Marie Claver signed a memorandum of agreement  last week with the proprietors of  Makk Builders, GQB Apparels and Chokko’s Bakeshop, the first three  SETUP beneficiaries this  year.
    Chokko’s Bakeshop proprietress Gyle Dominguez said they have been in the business for five years now and their market had been expanding from Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet to other nearby provinces such as La Union, Nueva Vizcaya and Ifugao.
    With the DOST’s help, Dominguez hopes to improve their production efficiency and quality of products.
    The GQB Apparels had been in business since 2012 with baby carriers and personal protective equipment as their products.
    Business owner Jonalyn Gayaso with the assistance of DOST, said they will purchase new sewing machines to increase production and enhance their product quality.  
    For Makk Builder which is engaged in hollow block production, proprietor Angel Piluden said they will be shifting from manual production to mechanized operations with the SETUP project which will greatly help in product enhancement and diversification.
    The DOST will provide P3.2 million worth of assistance for equipment upgrading, technical training and product development for these three MSMEs.
    SETUP cooperators will return the seed fund in three to five years (depending on their repayment capacity) without interest and after a one - year leeway or operations after project implementation.
    DOST’s SETUP is a nationwide strategy encouraging and assisting MSMEs to adapt technological innovations to improve their products services and operations to increase productivity and competitiveness and develop new products and establish or sustain market niches.
    Bantog   cited the Baguio – Benguet PSTC for being the first to roll out the SETUP program to MSME beneficiaries this 2021 and the   new SETUP cooperators for their perseverance to improve their operations and productivity amid the Covid-19 pandemic. PIA Cordillera