“I can supply my papaya-based pickled products if the sales are good, and I hope it goes that way.”

Mana Bebi proudly said, pointing to her product brand inside the newly launched One Town One Product (OTOP) hub located at the bus terminal of Liloan town on Tuesday, October 24.  Her bottled Papaya Atchara and Dulce Papaya literally sold like hot cakes right after the launching ceremony, and she looked forward for the next delivery should the hub operator message her.

Mana Saling, another food processor, said as much, expecting a fast turnover for her home-made banana chips, one of the products for sale at the Liloan OTOP hub, and was also selling good. 

“I hope the store operator text me sooner, so I can replenish my stocks,” Saling said, her words obviously filled with anticipation.

Bebi and Saling are local food producers. They are based in Sogod town, some 30 kilometers away, but when they heard  that an outlet was about to open in Liloan they never mind the distance, and readily jumped at the chance of an  another market for their toil.  Transactions are on consignment basis.

More than a dozen local products were initially put up inside the OTOP hub, coming from the hard work not just from the locals of Liloan but from neighboring towns as well, like tuba ni Bossing, bolinao ginamos tugnos, sweet bukayo, and buwad labtingaw, among others.

LGU support

Liloan Mayor Jonna Adan thanked the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for choosing her town for the program.  In an interview, she acknowledged the OTOP hub as a strategic approach in trading locally-made products which are mostly ready-to-serve native delicacies, empowering home-grown entrepreneurs.

“This is a big advantage for us, an opportunity for our small businesses to have a center in which they can display and sell their products,” the mayor said, who was not able to attend the launching rites on time because of a prior engagement.

In a message read by her Executive Assistant Oliver Te during the lauchig ceremony, the mayor cited the OTOP hub as a factor that can help improve Liloan by promoting an inclusive economic growth for the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The provincial government, represented by Board Member Rolando Bacoy, also expressed support in nurturing, promoting, and helping local industries in whatever way the province can extend assistance for the MSMEs.

New law

DTI Regional Chief of Staff Pedro Bimbo Tan, the guest of honor and speaker during the launching, said the Liloan OTOP Hub and the one held a day earlier in Padre Burgos, was in adherence to the new law, Republic Act 11960 that was just passed in August this year.

“The law calls for the establishment of One Town One Product Pasalubong Center in every municipality.  This works like an incubation center for small business looking for appropriate venues in which to sell their products,” Tan said.

The name suggested one product per town, but this is not necessarily so, for in one town, there are so many available local products, and the hub is one way to make popular a product which will soon serve like a trademark, a brand, that can be associated with a certain town.

Kakanin, for example, is closely associated with the province of Southern Leyte, due to its tres marias, bocarillo, salvaro, ampao, much like kalamay is closely linked with Bohol, Tan explained.

“It takes a whole village to promote the product ng bawat munisipyo, and if you want it known worldwide, it takes the nation to do that.  That’s the essence of OTOP  on bakit talaga tayuan bawat munisipyo.  We have so much to offer,” said Tan.

With more OTOP hubs come more livelihood, with more livelihood there will be more income for the people, and with more income the people are happy, Tan said.  (LDL/MMP/PIA Southern Leyte)