The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is one of the stakeholders of New Zealand’s Uplifting the IP Women in Davao City project.
The NZ Embassy in the Philippines is funding the initiative, which is being spearheaded by the Go Negosyo in partnership with the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII), DTI 11, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) 11, and Zeald. It targets the indigenous people (IP), particularly recognizing the potential of the Matigsalug tribe’s women in Marilog District in basketry and accessory-making.
The project which officially started in the 2nd quarter of 2022, has capacitated 106 IP women from four groups of the Matigsalug community. They were introduced to business development training which aims to increase the quality of products, accelerate their production, and enable them to digitize both their products and services.
DTI-Davao City Director Rachel S. Remitio said that the beneficiaries actively participated during the product development sessions and they were happy to see an improved version of their products.
She also added that part of DTI’s commitment is to help these beneficiaries bring their products to a bigger market, such as participation in trade fairs and the use of social media platforms to sell and meet potential buyers.
Bae Mercy Laglagan, one of the beneficiaries and the president of the IP women’s group in Barangay Salumay, thanked the New Zealand Embassy for funding their project and DTI-Davao City Field Office for helping them improve their products.
“Dako akong pasalamat nga natagaan og pagtagad ang mga kababayen-an sa among tribo nga mapili ani nga proyekto. Pinaagi sa mga trainings nga gihatag sa DTI-DCFO kami makapadayon na makahimo og produkto nga may kalidad ug makahatag og panginabuhi para sa among pamilya (Immense gratitude for giving the women of our tribe the attention and for choosing us to be part of this project. Through the training interventions of DTI-DCFO, we will be able to make high-quality products and provide livelihood to our families),” Laglagan said.
New Zealand Ambassador Peter Kell hopes that this project, which is in its final phase, will continue even after it ends in March this year.
Aside from the capacity-building seminars, the NZ Embassy in the Philippines also provided the beneficiaries with laptops, wi-fi devices, and other resources, including raw materials to ensure the sustainability of the project. DTI-DCFO/LTC/jmm
