In observance of the Holy Week, the Philippine News Agency’s online news service will be off on March 29, Good Friday, and March 30, Black Saturday. Normal operations will resume on March 31, Easter Sunday.

— The Editors

OTOP hub showcases Pangasinan products

By Hilda Austria

February 9, 2020, 3:25 pm

<p><strong>OTOP HUB.</strong> The first One Town, One Product (OTOP) hub in Pangasinan is situated in the Binmaley Museum Barangay Poblacion which is open to the public Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Food and non-food items of the different micro, small, and medium enterprises in the province can be bought here. <em>(Photo courtesy of DTI Region 1's Facebook page)</em></p>

OTOP HUB. The first One Town, One Product (OTOP) hub in Pangasinan is situated in the Binmaley Museum Barangay Poblacion which is open to the public Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Food and non-food items of the different micro, small, and medium enterprises in the province can be bought here. (Photo courtesy of DTI Region 1's Facebook page)

BINMALEY, Pangasinan -- The first One Town, One Product (OTOP) hub in Pangasinan is now showcasing the products of the different micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the province since it opened two weeks ago.

The OTOP hub is situated at the Binmaley Museum in Barangay Poblacion here and is open Monday to Friday.

“There are food and non-food items by some 36 MSMEs from all over the province displayed and being sold in the hub,” Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Pangasinan provincial director Natalia Dalaten said in an interview over the weekend.

Dalaten said the hub aims to promote OTOP Next Gen products of the MSMEs not just for retail but also for wholesale trading.

OTOP Next Gen program is now different from the previous OTOP program, she said.

“In the past OTOP program, a product should first be endorsed by the local government unit (LGU) before it can be recognized. But with the OTOP Next Gen, there is no need for endorsement of the LGU as long as the product is using materials that can be found in the locality,” she added.

OTOP products were sold previously at Pasalubong Centers of some towns or cities.

Dalaten said another OTOP hub will be opened at Sison, Pangasinan soon.

Aside from providing an avenue to showcase the MSMEs products, DTI also provides training and assistance to the MSMEs.

“We are again on the process of screening enrollees for the Kapatid Mentor Me Program (KMMP),” Dalaten said.

KMMP will train the chosen MSMEs on how to start or maintain their business, how to do proper accounting, be knowledgeable on legal matters, proper production, operation, financial aspect, and marketing.

“The training will run for 11 weeks, they will meet once a week. At the end of the course, they will have their business improvement plan, which will be based on what they learned,” she said.

The KMMP is limited to 20 to 25 MSMEs per batch.

“Last year, we had two batches but for this year, so far, we will only have one batch,” Dalaten said. (PNA)

Comments