DTI-12, LGU Koronadal hold Bugal Trade Fair during Negosyo Festival

KORONADAL CITY, SOUTH COTABATO – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 12 through its South Cotabato Provincial Officers forged a partnership with the local government unit of Koronadal City for the conduct of a 10-day trade fair dubbed as “Bugal Trade Fair sa Negosyo Festival” which was launched on Wednesday, October 5, 2022.

The fair, participated by 48 DTI-assisted food and non-food micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) of South Cotabato, will run until October 15, 2022 and is part of the enrolled activities in line with the celebration of Koronadal City’s 22nd Charter Anniversary and the 12th Negosyo Festival.

In an interview, DTI-12 OIC Regional Director Flora Politud-Gabunales said that the partnership with LGU Koronadal is proof of the importance viewed by the partner offices in assisting the MSMEs market their products after the more than two years of economic slowdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“After the hiatus of more than two years because of the pandemic restrictions, we are again intensifying our efforts to market the products of our local producers. By doing so, we help them pivot their businesses,” said Politud Gabunales.

Participating MSMEs in the trade fair were limited to those who have undergone business and product development interventions from DTI to ensure their readiness and safety of the marketed products.

Aside from product selling, DTI will also feature a financing forum, coffee training, orientation on Halal, food safety and good manufacturing practices, and technology development training on coconut by-products.

The public can also avail of the free brewed coffee and chocolate drink using the locally produced roasted coffee and tablea (chocolate liquor) of the South Cotabato at the Tsokokapehan booth.

The trade fair was ceremonially opened with a gong banging and breaking of cacao pod-shaped piñata by DTI-12 OIC-Assistant Regional Director and concurrent Provincial Director of DTI South Cotabato Rictoniel Reginio, South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., and Koronadal Mayor Eliordo Ogena.

Reginio invited the public to visit and promote the trade fair, patronize the local products and participate in the free trainings and sessions.

PCTA Members Empower their Communities to Advance and Adapt to the New Normal

Philippine Cable and Telecommunications Association, Inc. (PCTA), together with its members, continue to support the government efforts in improving communications and connectivity services for the public. The pandemic increased the need for stable internet access for social, economic, and educational needs and over 150 internet service provider (ISP) members of the PCTA are at the forefront to help the communities they serve transition into the new normal.

“Providing adequate bandwidth allocation and ensuring that internet service and signals are accessible to our communities are among PCTA’s priorities to support more Filipinos during unprecedented times. We doubled our efforts to improve internet services even in underserved areas,” Joel Dabao, president of PCTA said.

Cotabato Cable Television Network Corporation, one of PCTA’s active members, has put in a lot of work to deliver high quality service and bring the world to the homes of their subscribers in Cotabato City. It has earned the trust of government offices and became the city government’s official internet provider.

Cotabato Cable empowers its community of 3,200 households by providing convenient subscription plans and bundling cable TV with Internet of up to 12mbps in speed for subscribers who shifted to Fiber To The Home (FTTH) system. At the peak of the pandemic, they ensured that they lay out good signal and cable programs that would entertain the elders, help employees who work from home and students who attend their online classes. Cotabato Cable also gave the Department of Education free cablecasting of their modules from Mondays through Fridays.

Bongao Cable TV Network, Inc., one of PCTA’s member operators, has been providing internet service in the Salug Valley Province since 2016. At the start of the pandemic, Bongao Cable extended their services and upgraded their system, availing a higher bandwidth to cater to the needs of their subscribers.

They help schools and learning communities to set-up their online learning by providing a higher bandwidth and reasonable packages. They also support their local government units, specifically the Mayor’s office, to integrate and offer their services online that extends aid to the people in the municipality.

With their constant effort to provide internet services even in the farthest municipalities of the province of Zamboanga del Sur, subscribers no longer need to relocate as they can confidently work from home. Bongao Cable TV Network, Inc. offers the highest internet plan speed of up to 20mbps using the FTTH technology

Bongao cable continuously looks for more ways to upgrade their system to serve their ever-growing number of subscribers without increasing their basic rate for cable TV, at the same time not compromising the quality of their service. In addition, they exercise leniency in the collection of monthly payments understanding the challenges of these unprecedented times.

“As our nation moves forward to recovery, PCTA and its member operators will continue to serve reliable internet connectivity that will empower Filipinos especially in far-flung areas to accelerate and thrive in the digital transformation era,” Dabao added.

For more information about the PCTA and its members nationwide, visit www.pcta.org.ph



ABOUT PCTA

The PHILIPPINE CABLE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION (PCTA), INC. is the umbrella organization of nationwide Cable Television Operators and Internet Service Providers in the Philippines. Its membership roster includes the biggest cable operators in the country as well as the medium and small cable operators who, through their pain-staking efforts, have succeeded in bringing up-to-date programs, information, and technology to the farthest island in the country. To date, the PCTA has over 300 regular members. Together, the PCTA member-cable operators are serving 75% of the total cable TV subscribers in the Philippines.

DTI-12 Capacitates Local Sewers of Cotabato City in PPE Suit Making

KORONADAL CITY, SOUTH COTABATO—A skills training on Protective Personal Equipment (PPE) Production was conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry 12 (DTI-12) through its Cotabato Satellite Office to capacitate the local sewers of Cotabato City.

Participants to the one-day skills training on August 27, 2020 are members of the Moving Forward for Quality Life Association, operator of DTI’s Shared Service Facility (SSF) on T-shirt Manufacturing, were trained in producing suits and face masks.

The training is a response of DTI-12 to the call of DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez to encourage local manufacturers to re-purpose some of their manufacturing capacity into producing PPEs and masks in order to address the need for local producers who will supply the needs of healthcare workers.

It was also noted in a meeting of Sec. Lopez with some officials of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases last August 19, he mentioned that when the COVID-19 started in February, the Philippines had no local manufacturer of PPE.

“With the covid outbreak, the demand for PPE is greatly increased for everyday use of healthcare personnel. As such, DTI, being one of the line agencies who is mandated to provide service to help in providing PPEs through our SSF cooperators, we have thought of conducting training to this effect to assure that production of PPEs by our SSF Cooperators are sown according to the desired standard,” said Ma. Theresa T. Chua, the OIC Division Chief of DTI-12 CSO.

“We continue to support local micro, small and medium enterprises especially here in Cotabato City as they adjust to the ‘new normal’ and make them more resilient by providing alternative business ventures,” added Chua.

Supporting the initiative is the Local Government Unit of Cotabato City through its Office of the City Mayor-Investment Promotion Division.