Technology interventions of the Department of Science and Technology have expanded a small enterprise in Digos City, Davao del Sur which specializes in panel doors and moldings, thereby contributing to the livelihood impact on the immediate community.
Created out of excess raw materials from a house constructed by its owner in 1992, the Woodworks Kiln Dried Products based in Digos City supplies a big hardware in store in Davao City.
Woodworks proprietor Ricardo Talaboc attributes to DOST interventions the growth of his business which currently brings in a monthly gross income of P1 million mostly from Citi Hardware Davao which sells the products in its 36 branches spread nationwide.
Talaboc recalls that the enterprise started its full blast mass production of panel doors for Citi Hardware in 2005 after DOST 11 provided nearly a million-peso worth of wood-working facilities under its Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) in 2004.
Woodworks obtained the 20-board foot capacity Kiln Lumber Dryer, milling machine, wide-belt sander and engraving machine from the SETUP assistance, to address the need for an upgrading of facilities and to cater to the increasing market for panel doors.
The sander sped up the sanding process of wood which was identified as the bottle neck in the production system, and increased production from five door panels to 30 per day.
The kiln dryer increased in the production of panel doors and improved the quality of the moldings, meeting the escalating demand of the existing market, DOST said.
Talaboc said, “It’s the DOST kiln drying technology that made us achieve the peak of our production today.”
Talaboc’s teenage son, Renzei Mikhail, said that with the modern technology, the family-run business was able to expand the industry to 30,000 board feet of mahogany in just 18 days compared to previous years’ consumption of only 2,500-board feet a month for furniture items.
The 18-year old Talaboc, who is being trained by his father in the business this early, cited the engraving machine as a big help because it provides easy programming of the 12 engrave designs for the panel doors which are the most saleable in the market.
The firm is also getting demands from private individuals and offices in the province.
He said that growth of their business “comes along with the opportunities of labor,” adding that they employ skilled workers from the immediate community.
In his recent visit to various project sites in the region, DOST Secretary Mario G. Montejo lauded Woodworks company for recognizing the high standard of morality with a direction to serve and understand the value of living, and to help people.
Montejo said that this kind of mentality is testimony that really works for a small enterprise to grow and succeed.
