SANTIAGO CITY (PIA) - - The Department of Trade and Industry-Isabela Provincial Office has expressed optimism that the P3.5 million worth of Shared Service Facility (SSF) which was awarded to the City thru the DTI Santiago Satellite Office will enhance the capacity of farmers towards toll and industrial manufacturing.

“As the processing facility moves closer to completion, farmers not only from Santiago City but throughout Region 2 are expected to be capacitated more towards toll and industrial manufacturing which is in demand in the international market,” the DTI said.

The DTI also announced that the set of SSF for the processing center will be finished in the coming days with the delivery of a hot water treatment facility.

A test run at the Santiago City Food Processing and Toll Packaging Facility in Bannawag was done recently for the SSF that include dehydrators, a steam jacket kettle, a bottle filling machine, a mango fruit pulping machine, and blast freezer through technical assistance from the equipment's supplier.

Furthermore, a skills training on Fruit and Vegetable Processing was conducted to capacitate the beneficiaries of the facility towards toll manufacturing.

The test run and training were graced by City Councilor Jamayne Tan who represented City Mayor Alyssa Sheena P. Tan,  City Cooperatives Officer Rodelio D. Diego, and DTI Santiago City Officer-in-Charge Shynne Cecille C. Arao together with SSF Technical Assistant Krystal Fortuna and TIDS Mark Jayson S. Andes.

Among the beneficiaries were members of RIC Plaridel, Santiago City Fruit Producers Cooperative, RIC San Jose, and Santiago City Sugarcane Farmers Agriculture Cooperative.

The participants were trained to use the shared service facilities and were able to produce dried and frozen fruits and vegetables, pickled ampalaya, pineapple and mango jam, and mango and pineapple puree.

The DTI thanked KTCM Enterprise Owner Rheina De Guzman and TESDA trainers for the technical know-how.

According to DTI, the project is part of its development programs to address the spoilage of fruits and vegetables in the region and to empower local producers towards industrial manufacturing.

The SSF is the DTI's flagship initiative that gives processors equipment in order to increase their production capacity. (OTB/TCB/with reports from DTI Santiago City/PIA Quirino)