VATIS UPDATE Article

Davao, a bustling metropolis in Philippines, with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) setting up the Davao Food Processing Innovation Center (FPIC), a facility aimed at helping micro, small and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs) improve their productivity and market competitiveness. The facility is under the DOST’s Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program or SETUP, which aims to strengthen the competitive advantage of local enterprises, and increasing productivity and maximizing efficiency and income potential.

The fabrication of modern food processing equipment substantially lowers the cost of production for the MSMEs compared with buying the machineries abroad.

By adopting the locally-made equipment, the MSMEs are assured of readily available parts for maintenance and upgrading. Davao FPIC has already benefited a number of small business entrepreneurs in the different provinces by giving them a venue to develop unique and highly marketable food products. Other FPIC-developed food products are: freeze dried durian; carrot-calamansi and carrot-pineapple powder drink using spray dryer; spray dried carrot-calamansi-sweet potato leaves powder drink; gourmet tuyo (dried herring); and spray dried atsuete (annatto).