OTOPreneur_June 2010 sample work sample 1

Homegrown business partners in the countryside

JUNE 2010 ISSUE

Homegrown business partners in the countrysideHomegrown business partners in the countrysideHomegrown business partners in the countrysideHomegrown business partners in the countryside

JUNE 2010 ISSUE

Maitum, Sarangani Shores Photo by Omar GallineroFront: DTI OTOP product Back: Bangsi Festival, Region 10

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HOMEGROWN BUSINESS PARTNERS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

One Town, One ProductIn every town or city in the Philippines, one unique treasure stands out.

Each product is each town’s gift to the country; each town’s gift to the rest of the world.

Filipino craftsmen mold the vast natural resources available to them.

Wood is sculptured into works of art, capiz shells are shaped for window panes

and twigs are turned into grand centerpieces.

Local resources and technology converge into export and import substitute products.

Technology-enabling mechanisms offer possibilities to overseas Filipino workers

to become investors.

The brawns of these artisans are molded by the rugged terrain of the archipelago;

their minds draw inspiration from the country’s vibrant past;

their creativity and resourcefulness driven by endless possibilities technology offers.

Collectively, their artifacts, services and constantly evolving products are called

One Town, One Product Philippines.

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© 2010 DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY PHIL IPPINES

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OTOPreneur is published by theRegional Operations and Development GroupDepartment of Trade and IndustryMakati City, Philippines

Executive Editor: Merly M. Cruz, Undersecretary, DTI-RODGManaging Editor: Rey F. ReromaEditorial Consultant: Maria Lourdes M. LucesArt, Design & Production: Ideabank, Inc.

Special thanks to Omar Gallinero and Sam Igloria

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The story of the stone soup

Jesli A. LapusSecretary

any years ago, a man appeared at the village square and asked for a big pot with water. The townspeople gave him the biggest pot they could find, filled it

up with water, and watched as the man took out a stone from his bag and dropped it into the pot. “Now this will be a fine soup, ”he said,” but a little bit of garnish would make it wonderful!” One villager ran home and returned with a handful of parsley and some onions. As the soup was boiling, more villagers went back to their houses and brought out whatever they had. Soon barley, carrots, beef and cream had gone into the great pot. When the soup was done, they gathered around a table and had the most memorable meal of their lives. In the morning the stranger awoke to find the villagers around him, offering their best breads and cheese. An elder said, ”This is our way of thanking you for sharing with us the secret of how to make soup from stones.” The man said: “There is no secret but this: “It is only by sharing that we can make a feast.”

This is an old story that has undergone many variations around the world, but has retained its basic message: cooperation is essential to success. It is the fundamental principle behind industry clustering-the core strategy in implementing One Town, One Product (OTOP) Program. In industry clustering, related and supporting firm are linked together so they can share resources, enhancing their overall productivity and competitiveness.

Among the stories in this edition of OTOPreneur, the story of the muscovado stakeholders in Antique stands out. By coming together and collectively dealing with the challenges with full recognition of their potentials and resources, the muscovado

producers emerged from a deeply entrenched individual village-level mill paradigm to an organized industry strengthened by partnerships even among competitors. The growing industry in Panay province demonstrated the power of collective efforts among government and non-government agencies and the stakeholders.

But there is another story. The Antique success can be traced to the success of the industry clustering approach in Northern Mindanao that drove the DTI to push for the replication of the strategy in the Visayas province. Shared experiences and best practices from Mindanao were no small ingredient considering that today, the muscovado industry in Antique enjoys productive collaboration among stakeholders and is at the verge of market expansion.

The concept of collective action to achieve tangible results is the main ingredient in the stories in this issue of OTOPreneur, showing how far public and private sector partnership can take us. It is the contemporary variation of the stone soup story.

Let this publication be a tool for the promoting micro, small and medium enterprises to rev up the economic engines in the countryside. One successful enterprise means several jobs. Another two or three and more will mean more and more jobs. It is thus our goal for the OTOP program to help business grow and become successful as a significant contributor in creating a robust economy in the countryside.

Who then was the man in the story who made the stone soup. He could stand for anyone; he could also be an institution, such as DTI, acting as stimulus generating contributions or ingredients from everyone so all of us can sit around the table and enjoy a sumptuous meal.

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t the outset, let me congratulate all the awardees in the 2010 OTOP Congress! Since the inception of the OTOP Program

in 2004, our enterprises--particularly those in the countryside, have been ushered into new and better opportunities giving rise to new partnerships tapping into a wealth of home grown talents.

It is therefore appropriate and fitting that we honor their exemplary performance as we celebrate their remarkable achievements and contributions in propagating One Town One Product Philippines. Not to forget are the local governments and government- and private-sector partners whose investments boosted the dynamo on countryside trade and employment. To all of them, our congratulations!

This year’s congress also made special citations of OTOP flagship enterprises. With their local governments, these green enterprises advocate sustainability by using green materials and employing green practices. We hope that others follow their outstanding examples.

To all the awardees, guests--led by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, partner agencies, supporters, and all the men and women making up the OTOP community, we thank you for joining us in that important occasion.

Marking that same day was the launching of the OTOPreneur magazine. The maiden issue captured the evolution of a selection of flagship products now having a life of its own creating an impact in our countryside growth.

Meanwhile, we are particularly proud to present the fruits of the hidden talents of our

provincial and regional staff who wrote the stories for this edition. I say “hidden” because they never knew they have it until today.

Engaging with entrepreneurs is a daily occurrence in the DTI. But writing about the entrepreneurs’ compelling narratives was a surreal experience to some of our staff whose writing experience revolves mostly on the technical rather than on the creative genre.

“It is always exhilarating to hear stories of determination, hardship, and eventual triumph. But to hear it first-hand and be the one to share it to the world is certainly a thrill,” said Fatima Parahiman of her writing experience.

Roger Petinglay was grateful for the opportunity. His story on the muscovado industry in Antique tells the world that, “we are creating small ripples in our province that when put together form a tidal wave of success.”

It was maternally insightful to Fahmela Racquel Villanueva, who wrote her story with someone kicking in her tummy. “I really thought pregnancy and writing don’t mix well. But the entire experience proved me otherwise. Writing the story for our SMEs was like nurturing a life in the womb…both required passion and dedication,” she mused.

Sixteen stories, one from each region, reside in these pages. We promise to continue to capture and document our collective efforts and spread the good news happening in the countryside.

Join us in this journey. The success stories captured in these pages could be well your story too.

Inspiring journeysMerly M. Cruz

Undersecretary Regional Operations and Development Group

t the outset, let me congratulate all the t the outset, let me congratulate all the awardees in the 2010 OTOP Congress! awardees in the 2010 OTOP Congress! Since the inception of the OTOP Program Since the inception of the OTOP Program

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Indag-an Multi Purpose CooperativeBarangay Indag-an, Miag-ao, Iloilo

Behold the beauty of hand-woven textiles

Norberto FerolinoManager

+63 (33) 315-9722


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