by Perla Lena/PNA
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique — The PHP2.7-million shared service facility (SSF) for this capital town will be delivered next week at the Dalipe Tradetown.
Senior Trade and Industry Development Specialist Arlene Galopo of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Antique provincial office said on Friday that the SSF for Food Processing and Toll Packaging would benefit vegetable and fruit vendors by helping them process left over agricultural goods.
“The vegetable and fruit vendors would be able to process their agricultural materials that are about to rot into other finished products and add value into it,” Galopo said.
She said the beneficiaries, using the SSF, would be able to come up with jams or puree before their agricultural products get rotten.
“The local government of San Jose de Buenavista is the cooperator for the SSF,” she said.
As the cooperator, the LGU will be the one to manage the SSF that is equipped with juicer extractor machine, vegetable cutter, moisture analyzer and many others.
“The SSF will not only benefit those at the market but also others who would like to use the equipment,” Galopo said.
She said the SSF is being financed by the DTI as part of its assistance to micro small and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs).
Meanwhile, Galopo said the trial run of the equipment for cacao processing in the municipality of Patnongon last week produced native chocolates with good texture.
“Hopefully, before the end of December all the equipment will be delivered so that the SSF on cacao processing could already go into full operation,” Galopo said.
The SSF on cacao processing has a cost of PHP2.9 million and was intended to enable the cacao planters to produce fine chocolates to be sold in the market.
The local government of Patnongon is the cooperator of the SSF for cacao processing.
The SSF in San Jose de Buenavista and Patnongon are the firsts of the 42 SSFs throughout the province approved by the DTI Regional Technical Working Group this 2018. The 42 projects have a budget of PHP47,941,660.
The SSF, which is a flagship program of the DTI, will benefit all the 18 municipalities of Antique and the five campuses of the University of Antique and other public schools.
