BORACAY ISLAND – Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) secretary Ramon Lopez recently visited the beneficiaries of DTI’s Livelihood Seeding Program, particularly the Boracay Women Producers Cooperative or Pinay Boracay, here.
Pinay Boracay was one of the beneficiaries who received assistance from the DTI, as part of the national government’s action to cushion the effects during the island’s rehabilitation. The group underwent several livelihood and skills training.
Primarily, they produce organic food products, soaps, and shampoo bars. With DTI’s intervention, the members were also trained on bayong bag making and fashion accessories that boosted their creativity in the area of eco-packaging.
They were also provided with starter kits to kick-off their businesses for eco-soaps, silk-screen printing, garments and crochet, which gave them new opportunities to improve and develop new innovative and organic products.
Pinay Boracay comprise mostly of women that rely on the cooperative for a living.
Lopez, along with the DTI team, visited the cooperative’s Community Mart and HERitage workshop.
Seeing the positive output of their projects, Lopez committed for a continued support for the group’s growth and development specifically to assist in market production and additional equipment and machines for its production.
Lopez encouraged the group to be one of the P3 (Pondo para sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso) program conduits and mentioned that DTI eyes to put an OTOP Hub in the island to further assist Aklanon MSMEs in promoting its products in Boracay.
Lopez made the visit at the sidelines of the Regional Operations Group-Management Committee Meeting at Casa Pilar in Boracay Island. He was joined by DTI Assistant Secretaries Blesila Lantayona and Demphna Du-Naga, DTI VI Regional Director Rebecca M. Rascon and other regional directors, and bureau directors from head office./PN
