By Emmanuel D. Taghoy
IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay – Some equipments of the Shared Service Facilities (SSF) Project of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-9 were turned-over recently to three cooperatives in the province.
The three beneficiaries were the Sulo Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SARBEMCO) situated at Barangay Sulo of Naga town, Katipunan ng mga May Kapansanan sa Ipil, Inc. (KAMPIL, Inc.) situated in Ipil town, and Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries of Marcelo Multi-Purpose Cooperative (ARBEMCO) situated in Kalawit, Zamboanga del Norte.
SARBEMCO has received from the SSF project five Abaca stripping machines and one rope making machine with a total cost of P785 thousand while KAMPIL, Inc. received five sewing machines and one rope making machine with a total cost of P179 thousand.
ARBEMCO has also received five Abaca spindle machines and one rope making machine amounting to P784 thousand.
Roel C. Catimbang, senior trade & industry development specialist of DTI-Sibugay said the total project cost was 1.7 million.
The project turnover was attended by Dr. Sitti Amina Jain, DTI-9 regional director and Engr. Noel R. Bazan, concurrent provincial director of DTI-Sibugay.
It could be recalled that DTI had earmarked P46 million for SSF projects in Region 9 for this year, 70 percent higher than the P27.12 million allocation in 2013.
Dr. Jain said that the SSF Project would be able to help more small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Region 9, which are in need of government support to acquire the necessary equipment, tools or machinery to improve their production.
The SSF project is a collaborative effort of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) with the help of the private sector via Public-Private Partnership (PPP).