TUGUEGARAO CITY –-The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Cagayan provincial office and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) have teamed up with the local government of Rizal, Cagayan in training Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in making new products from banana stalks.
Some 30 ARBs and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Rizal joined the Skills Training on Leatherized Banana Stalks Manipulation conducted by DTI and DAR, in collaboration with Rizal LGU in Barangay Duyun, Rizal, Cagayan on Friday.
DTI-Region 2 information officer Manilyn Ponce said the skills training was the first of the two-part collaboration in the development of new products from banana, a raw material swarming in abundance in the area.
The leatherized banana stalks are used as wallpapers, as wraps for desk lamps, and other decorative ideas.
“There is a market for leatherized banana stalks. In fact, products using the leatherized banana stalks have been featured in national fairs and have received positive feedbacks from customers,” Ponce, said.
“With the abundance of bananas in the area, and with the trainings provided by the government, the local administration, under the leadership of Mayor Brenda Ruma, hopes for the MSMEs to tap this opportunity and turn it into a lucrative business,” said Remigio C. Taguba, Executive Assistant of LGU Rizal, who also opened the training and welcomed the participants.
The training is one of the components of the Support to SSF and Yaman Pinoy Project of LGU Rizal under DTI-BuB 2016 fund.
The DTI-DAR-Rizal LGU team is set to hold another round of product development activity to the same participants this month. (PNA)