By Isaac T. Abello
Staff
Regional Applied Communications Group (RACG)
WESVARRDEC
Through the Techno Transfer Program, the Department of Science & Technology (DOST) supports the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the region.
This is according to Engr. Emelyn P. Flores, Assistant Regional Director for Technical Operations of DOST Region 6, speaking in one of the forums conducted by the Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (WESVARRDEC) during its first regional Techno Gabay Summit and Technomart held in Iloilo city recently.
For her part, Flores featured the three major programs under the medium-term component Technology Transfer and Commercialization of the Department in its National Science and Technology Plan from 2002 to 2010. These are the Small Enterprise Technology-Upgrading Program (SET-UP), the Technology Innovation and Commercialization (Technicom) and the Techno Gabay Program.
DOST allows innovations to shine in techno fairs like (see photos) WESVARRDEC's first Regional Techno Gabay Summit.
SET-UP seeks to enhance the competitiveness of micro, small and medium enterprises through technology innovations; Technicom identifies technology gaps to facilitate interventions for technology commercialization; and the Techno Gabay Program, bannered by DOST PCARRD, promotes science-based technology services to end users in the agriculture, forestry and natural resources sectors. This event forms part of Techno Gabay Program of WESVARRDEC.
In the same forum, Flores reported that Micro Small Medium Enterprises have significant economic contribution, accounting for almost 32% of the Philippine Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Representing around 99.6 % of total business registered in the country and about 92 % are micro enterprises, MSMEs employ 40 % of the total labor force nationwide. These significant figures attest why DOST supports MSMEs and enhances their competitiveness.
With priority concerns for natural fiber, fashion accessories, metals and engineering, furniture, horticulture, food processing, aquatic and marine, DOST offers provision of technology, technology training, technical consultancy and advisory services, support services for enterprise development and laboratory and other testing services.
Photos by WESVARRDEC Techno Gabay and Geffrey Ian Galvez, FITS OPA Guimaras
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