By THEPHILBIZNEWS STAFF
With the thurst of the government to create more entrepreneurs and creates more jobs, The One Town, One Product Program (OTOP) Next Gen kicked off the year assembling all its regional and provincial focal persons through the “OTOP Visions 2020: Trade Promotions Officers’ Evaluation and Planning Session” held from February 5-6, 2020 at the Hotel Jen Manila.
The session aimed to assess the group’s performance, to earn from the best practices of each region, and to set the direction of the program for 2020. It was attended by DTI Regional and Assistant Regional Directors and all the Trade Promotions Officers who have played crucial roles in the continued success of the OTOP program.
“We hope to face 2020 with a clear and unified vision of OTOP. As we set out to elevate our level and quality of MSME support, may we grow all the more resilient. Let us remember why we are doing this and who we are doing this for – for MSMEs and for the continued development of our country”, OTOP Program Manager Assistant Secretary Demphna Du-Naga stated during the opening of the OTOP Visions 2020.
The two-day conference also included learning sessions for participants given by various resource persons from the Department and other agencies. In line with rising global trends, the prospective e-commerce platforms are also being explored by the program.
The program surpassed its targets for 2019, successfully providing 10, 819 counts of MSME assistance, 6,771 counts of product development services, and enabling OTOPreneurs to generate Php1.407 billion in sales.
To date, the program has already established 37 OTOP Philippines Hubs (OTOP.Ph), OTOP’s retail and marketing arm, nationwide with many more underway.
The Program also engaged with prospective foreign markets during a mission to Europe, where it participated in the ANUGA Fair in Cologne, Germany. There, it showcased the rich flavors of the Philippines on the world stage, enticing potential buyers and partners from all over.
The session only marked the beginning of OTOP’s continuous thrust to promote inclusive economic growth and increase the competitiveness of local MSMEs. Much can be expected from the program this year as it seeks to further expand its pool of new enrollees and level up the package of services it offers to OTOPreneurs.