Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors in Region 2 availed free consultancy services and were encouraged to improve their productivity and competitiveness with help from a government program.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), through the Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI), offers the Consultancy for Agricultural and Manufacturing Productivity Improvement (CAMPI) program.

“It is a level-up strategy that provides focused S&T (science and technology) consultancy interventions to SMEs,” said Jovito Rey Gonzales, division manager of DOST-TAPI’s Investment and Business Operations Division, in an interview.

Recently, experts from Technology Plus Product and Service Consultancy Co. visited DOST-assisted SMEs for free consultancy services under CAMPI.

This was done with an aim to improve the operations of micro, small and medium enterprises towards global competitiveness and augment the assistance clients received thru the department’s Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program or SETUP.

“The end goal we’re giving for businesses in the food sector is food safety. They must make sure that they should not only comply with the set standards but also, they should know it by heart so that they can cascade these ideas effectively to their employees” said Dr. Debbie Alcasabas, Food Technologist from TPPSC and DOST consultant.

Among the assistance and corresponding SMEs are as follows:

No. Assistance/Firm Address Product Lines/ Sector
1. Waste Management System Installation/ISO Certification for Farm Machineries/Metals & Engineering Sector
Agricomponent Machineries and Construction Corporation
Tagaran, Cauayan City, Isabela
2. Waste Management System Installation/ISO Certification for Furniture Sector
Base Wood Products
Cabatuan Road, Mambabanga, Luna, Isabela
3. GMP Certification for Babes H.A. Food Products Food Sector
San Fermin, Cauayan City, Isabela
4. GMP Certification Product and Process Standardization for Food Sector
S&D Foods
Sinsayon, Santiago City, Isabela
5. Product and Process Standardization for Food Sector
Palaisdaan Natin
Salvador, Santiago City, Isabela
6. GMP Certification Product and Process Standardization for Pies, Coated Dates/Food Sector
Mid-East Sweets
Tuao, Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya
7. Waste Management System Installation/ISO Certification for Farm Machineries/ Metals & Engineering Sector
NorthAsia Sales Corporation
Capitol Hills, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan
8. GMP Certification Product and Process Standardization for Spices, longanisa/Food Sector
CEC Food Ventures
Falcon St. San Gabriel, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan

No. Farm Address/ Contact # Total Area # Worker Interventions Needed
1. Danilo A. Santos 1 ha hatchery(tilapia & hito) 4 Farm Workers Good Aquaculture Practices (GAP) and its alignment to Fish Pond Registration/
Purok 2, Victoria, San Mateo, Isabela 1 ha grow-out Grow-Out Facility Certification
09053093944
2. Arnel R. Santiago 2.5 ha grow-out/hatchery(tilapia & hito) 2 Farm Workers
Purok 5, Gaddanan, San Mateo, Isabela
09178997867
3. Robert J. Petines 9 ha (2 ha. hatchery & 6 Farm Workers
Purok 3, Naganacan, Cauayan City, Isabela 7 ha. Grow-out for tilapia & hito)
09163424673
4. Raul F. Valdez 1 ha (hatchery tilapia &hito) 2 Farm Workers
Dappig Victoria, San Mateo, Isabela
09265155804
5. Joseph C. Remocal 2 ha (1 ha hatchery tilapia & 4 Farm Worker
Malasin, San Mateo, Isabela hito & 1 ha. grow-out)
09261977031
6. Jose Ildefonso B. Costales Jr. 9 ha. (2 ha. hatchery tilapia & 5 Farm worker
Nabuan, Santiago City, Isabela hito & 7 ha. grow-out)
09175081689
7. Ronnie Remocal 2 ha (1 ha. hatchery -tilapia & 2 Farm Worker
Malasin, San Mateo, Isabela hito & 1 ha. grow-out)
09163688440
8. Mars Bautista 2 ha. (grow-out tilapia & hito) 3 Farm Worker
La Paz, Cabatuan, Isabela
09173097715
9. Feliciano R. Palomares .6 ha (hatchery tilapia & hito) 2 Farm Worker
Salinungan West, San Mateo, Isabela
09063697110
10. DI-ROMA Integrated Farm 2 ha. (hatchery hito) 2 Farm Worker
Melchor M. Domingo
Gen. Aguinaldo, Ramon, Isabela

Gonzales said the CAMPI program aims to install focused S&T interventions to continually improve the productivity of the SMEs and tap the skills and expertise of industry practitioners. Financial assistance shall cover the professional fee and travel cost of the consultants who will conduct consultancy services to qualified SMEs within the priority sectors.

Gonzales said priority sectors are food processing; gifts, toys and housewares (GHD); agriculture/horticulture; aquaculture; health products/pharmaceuticals; furniture; and metals and engineering.

He said consultancy services include the adoption of S&T innovations, process standardization, self-life determination, packaging and labeling, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification process, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) accreditation process and ISO standards compliance.