DTI seeks tourism benefits for MSMEs in Asean integration

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is encouraging tourism stakeholders to work together to ensure even the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) benefit from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) economic integration.

“We all need to work together to understand the pros and cons of global policy reforms and to ensure that poor communities in the tourism supply chain can participate either as destinations or suppliers to tourism markets,” Trade Assistant Secretary Ceferino Rodolfo said in a statement.

DTI regional director Asteria Caberte said interventions to support MSMEs include branding and promotions, design, mentorship, production and quality enhancement programs, as well as the availability of financial loans and capital equipment or shared services facilities (SSF).

Among the SSFs launched to support MSMEs is the Bohol Fabrication Laboratory or “Fablab”, through the collaboration of the DTI with the Department of Science and Technology, Bohol Island State University (BISU) and international organizations United States Agency for International Development and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

“The Bohol Fablab is a shared service facility for small enterprises to produce quality souvenir products that can be supplied to tourism facilities. These interventions intend to create value chain and links between the trained participants and the producers, exporters and other entrepreneurs in Bohol,” Caberte said.

The Fablab, housed at the BISU, provides state of the art technology and equipment such as laser cutting, computer numerical control, rapid prototyping, haptic interface modelling, and virtual reality modelling which are seen to help enable local designers and local MSMEs to come up with high value and high quality product prototypes. 

“The facilities can also further assist MSMEs through short run production of prototypes which can be used for market testing before full blown commercial production,” Caberte said.

To support MSMEs catering to the tourism industry, the DTI is also implementing with the Department of Tourism the Leveraging Industries for Supply Chain Program.

The program involves providing workshops intended to improve design and packaging as well as mentorship.

The Asean Economic Community (AEC), to be established by the end of next year, seeks to create a single market and production base in the region.

The AEC is seen to open opportunities for businesses given the region’s population of more than 600 million and combined gross domestic product of nearly $3 trillion.

The Philippine government is pushing for the growth of MSMEs as they account for the bulk of the country’s total registered businesses.