DTI works to revive jewelry industry through SSF

NABUNTURAN, COMPOSTELA VALLEY PROVINCE – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) here is working towards the revival of the local jewelry industry through its Shared Service Facility (SSF) initiative.

Considered as the One Town One Product (OTOP) in the town of Monkayo, the industry is surely a vital component of its economy.

DTI-Comval Officer-in-Charge Lucky Siegfred M. Balleque said that the aim of reviving the jewelry-making business gets a boost as the office has provided machines and equipment through its SSF Project. 

“Once a thriving cottage industry in the town known for its gold-rich mountain of Diwalwal, jewelry making business declined after Typhoon Pablo swept the municipality to ruins last December 4, 2012. The calamity brought the town into survival mode, prioritizing food and shelter before anything else,” he said.

With jewelry being considered more of a luxury than a necessity, jewelry makers stopped producing and looked for other trade and livelihood options that they know will give them food to eat right away.

Apart from this scenario, the Jewelry Training Center established by the local government unit (LGU) of Monkayo was also completely destroyed by the typhoon, taking away the jewelry-making tools and equipment and the structure that serves as the training ground for future artisans.

“Even before Typhoon Pablo happened, DTI-Comval has already conceptualized the establishment of an SSF in Monkayo to cater to micro, small and medium Enterprises (MSMEs) involved in jewelry trade,” he said.

The facility is envisioned to become a production center to produce various designs of jewelry in volume.

To ensure that the project will take off, DTI-Comval identified an association of jewelry makers as the project cooperator. However, the identified association was not able to come up with its counterpart, forcing the office to look for another co-operator.

Fortunately, the LGU Monkayo accepted the DTI offer to become the co-operator for the project. Exactly two years after Typhoon Pablo devastation, the long dreamed Jewelry making production center has finally materialized.  The Shared Service Facility (SSF) project for Jewelry Making was formally launched in Monkayo on December 4, 2014.

 DTI provided almost half a million worth of Jewelry making machines and equipment to make volume production possible for small jewelry makers not only in Monkayo but for neighbouring areas as well. 

Monkayo Mayor Joselito Brillantes and DTI Comval OIC Atty. Lucky Siegfred Balleque signed the Memorandum of Agreement during a simple ceremony made as one of the activities to also commemorate Typhoon Pablo anniversary in Monkayo.  

Atty. Balleque said that despite the disasters and other challenges, DTI would not let this industry be neglected, being not only the OTOP of Monkayo but of the province as well.  Thus, DTI is working hard to revive the jewelry making industry thru its SSF project. (DTI-CV/PKE/jmm)