THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Bulacan provincial office has undertaken steps to reactivate existing industry associations in the province to promote innovation and sustainability as a strategy for industry development and expansion.
DTI Bulacan director Edna Dizon said on Monday (June 20) that among the sectors included to be enhanced and reactivated are the tannery and jewelry association whic believe are already sunset industries in the City of Meycauayan.
“However, in the span of time, there were underlying factors why these sectors remained in status quo or even deteriorated in operations. This included also the effects of the Covid -19 pandemic that greatly affected a lot of businesses in the entire world,” Dizon said.
Mary Grace Sta. Ana Reyes, DTI Bulacan information officer said, DTI-Bulacan is eyeing the creation of new industry sectors that can adopt innovations and sustainability concepts to make MSMEs cope with the changing times.
She said the Covid -19 pandemic has changed the local economic landscape thus, it is urgent that the adoption of new business models and concepts, including strengthening and reactivation of industry associations’ visibility in the development process is seen as crucial for the business community to thrive in this fast-changing times.
It was learned that at present, the province of Bulacan is enrolled in the following priority industry sectors – Processed Fruits and Nuts, Wearable and Homestyles, Coffee, Cacao, and Bamboo industry sectors. With the enrollment of Bulacan to these sectors, DTI- Bulacan sees the urgency of having an organized body and association to grow and expand them.
Initiatives to conduct consultative meetings among existing and MSMEs engaged in the priority sectors are in the pipeline.
Dizon believes that the organized Councils and associations are key to local economic building.
It is in this effort that DTI-Bulacan is working hand in hand with local MSMES engaged in the sectors in the crafting of industry plans and roadmaps so as to guide the province’s directions towards the achievement of the regional and provincial innovative and sustainable development agenda.
DTI- Bulacan foresees the important roles of industry associations in the nation’s economic building.
The generation of the required employment and creation of economic opportunities rest on them. Data shows that almost 96% of businesses in the country comprise mostly of MSMEs.
“With this reality, the more that government needs to further sustain its role of supporting greatly the needs of these MSMEs and DTI is taking this role in the process as it hopes to see more MSMEs grow and expand,” she added.
