VIGAN CITY, Aug. 21 (PIA) – A printing company here is embracing trends and innovations integrating digital technology for a customized and faster production through the Department of Science and Technology’s Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (DOST SETUP).
The DOST, through its Provincial Science and Technology Center-Ilocos Sur (PSTC-IS), conducted skills training on the use and maintenance of a six-head embroidery machine, provided through SETUP, to Nik’s Printing Shop at Ayusan Norte village recently.
A total of five participants from the printing shop were capacitated on the use of the newly-acquired machine.
Mr. Dionel Paguirigan, firm’s owner, expressed his gratitude to the agency as the machine is a big help in improving the quality of their service.
“Amidst the pandemic, we still need to upgrade our technology to compete in the market and I want to eliminate outsourcing in our production process for faster delivery of orders to our dear clients,” Mr. Paguirigan said.
Nik’s Printing Shop received a total of P1,205,120 last March 31, 2021 from DOST for the procurement of the six-head embroidery machine with human resource training as part of the agency’s assistance.
Mr. Alvin Domanico, technical supervisor support engineer of MediaV Advertising Company Incorporated, served as the resource person during the training.
Before the intervention, the firm outsourced embroidery services to printing shops in Laguna with outsourcing process taking two to three weeks from product sample inspection, mass production, and product delivery.
With the elimination of the outsourcing process through the procured machine, the firm is seen to reduce operating expenses, improve quality of service, and reach a wider market.
SETUP is a strategy in encouraging and assisting the micro, small, and medium enterprises in order to address their technical problems and improve productivity and efficiency through technology acquisition, human resource training, functional packages and labels designing, product testing, and many others.
For more information on the SETUP Program, please call (077) 604-5337 / 0917-840-8203 / 0998-962-0230 or email PSTC-IS at ilocossur@region1.dost.gov.ph or visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DOSTIlocosSur.
Meanwhile, to increase productivity of sugarcane processors in the municipality of Suyo, the DOST PSTC-IS awarded P216,000 financial assistance to Suyo Sugarcane Growers’ Association (SSGA) on August 13.
The SSGA, with 27 members, represented the sugarcane growers in the municipality and is engaged in the production and processing of sugarcane into muscovado sugar, sugarcane wine or basi and vinegar.
Currently, the association rents a privately-owned old-model (traditional) type sugarcane crusher for their processing.
The rent costs them about 10% of their total production while obliging them to occasionally repair it due to its dilapidated condition further delaying the processing.
The DOST financial assistance provided to the SSGA will be used to acquire a mechanized sugarcane crusher and two units of cooking vats or sinublan.
These interventions will increase their processing capacity that could also result in reduction of processing time thereby increased income for its members.
“Thank you for the support to our sugarcane farmers, we are prioritizing sugarcane as this is our One-Barangay-One-Product,” said Mr. Patricio Bawas of the Municipal Agriculture Office of Suyo as he expressed his gratitude to DOST.
The SSGA project was funded under the DOST PSTC-IS Community-based Project which aims to improve associations through the application of science and technology related interventions and various capacity-building activities. (JCR/AMB/PIA Ilocos Sur with reports from DOST)
