ABOUT P2.5 million was given out by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Southern Mindanao for 2007 as its direct intervention to qualified small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for technology development.

Aimed to convince SMEs to upgrade the level of technology to improve and increase production, the Setup Program continues to be one of the major projects of the said department.

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DOST Secretary Estrella Alabastro stressed that technology assistance has been one of its consistent and sustainable programs as it has assisted more than 35,000 companies all over the country since 2002.

Among the many type of interventions made by the DOST are consultancy, trainings, chemical specifications, manpower recruitment, label designing, microbiological tests, packaging, assistance for technology purchase, process improvement, and others.

For 2007, the department has identified 20 Setup Products which will be getting interventions from DOST.

Included in the SME beneficiaries are the "Wati" tissue cultures planting material, Asuncion Coco Ventures, Inc, Tagum Golden Foods, Lucille's Food Products, Katakus, Inc, DATI Coco crafts, TSR Furniture Shop and Marketing, Supra Fuego Co., Inc, Woodworks Kiln-Dried Products, and others.

DOST also launched the web-based GIS Mapping of these Setup products for easy tracking of development, promotion, and network opportunities.

Alabastro invited the potential SME beneficiaries to take advantage of such opportunity in developing their businesses.

"Our department is always ready to assist and intervene in whatever concerns of our SMEs that involve technology development," she said.

Source: sunstar.com.ph/davao/index.html