DAVAO CITY — Jewelers of Monkayo are expected to clinch more deals and generate more sales as the town’s jewelry-making industry is flourishing, with the skills training and financial assistance that have been poured into it.
Eulogio C. Orevillo of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provincial office of Compostela Valley bared substantial sales of about 400,000 pesos that jewelers of Monkayo generated during the recently held Bulawan Festival.
Varied designs and intricately hand-made pieces of Diwalwal-made fine jewelries were showcased during the festival.
Attending the meeting of the Program Monitoring and Coordinating Center of the National Task Force Diwalwal (PMCC-NTFD), Orevillo said jewelers are receiving a number of orders and bookings.
“Visitors and guests were amazed with the crafting skills of our local jewelry makers and designers,” he said.
Designed as an alternative livelihood of ‘abanteros’ and small-scale miners, jewelry-making has been identified as a banner industry of Compostela Valley.
Aside from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is also at the forefront of training would-be jewelers from Mt. Diwata.
The provincial government poured in 1 million pesos last year into this project. Funds were used to purchase equipment and to conduct training. The provincial government will also be pouring more investment for this year to further develop the industry which derives its strength from the mining industry of Compostela Valley.
Complementing with the convergence efforts to mold the neophyte jewelry industry, DTI recently conducted a product design consultancy session with some officers and craftsmen of the Diwalwal Artisan and Entrepreneurs Cooperative (Darteco).
Designers from DTI regional office were also invited to handle one-on-one design consultation and critiquing. (PIA XI/DTI-Comval)
Trade
