RDC calls on LGUs to support Otop showrooms

Apr. 07, 2009

TAGUM CITY — The Regional Development Council (RDC) is coming up with a resolution urging mayors and provincial governors of the various local government units in the region to support the One-Town One-Product (Otop) product showrooms.

During the recently held RDC quarterly meeting at the Bulwagan ng Lalawigan, Regional Director Marizon Loreto of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) XI moved for a resolution asking local government officials to support the Otop showroom.

A job-generation strategy of President Gloria Arroyo, the Otop program identifies a key product that a municipality can ably produce as a banner product.

As the lead agency implementing the Otop program, DTI is making ways to market Otop products through establishing showrooms.

During the deliberation of the RDC resolution, Loreto explained that the Otop showroom could be a place to bring tourists who would be interested to buy locally-made products.

She also said that the showroom could also serve as a place to do business-matching between small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) and large-scale business people who would be interested to buy in big bulk some Otop products.

RDC chairperson Vicente Lao who presided the meeting, suggested LGU executives to put up the Otop showroom which he viewed as a self-sustaining investment while also encouraging them to promote the Otop products.

“Anyway, this can be ruled out to the private sector,” he said.

The resolution asking LGU executives to support the Otop showroom came out when Director Sonia Garcia of the Department of Tourism (DOT) XI presented the tourism industry vision for the province.

Davao Region is envisioned to become an anchor destination of the Philippines and to serve as the gateway to Mindanao and to the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asian Growth Area (Bimp-Eaga).

Davao Region is also being promoted as an island-to-highland destination highlighting culture, adventure and nature with diving and golf activities as its major draws. (PIA)

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