OTOP Central Visayas Brochures

I'm currently in the midst of producing OTOP brochures for the four provinces in Central Visayas. I'm under extreme time pressure (again!) . I have to finish the project this month. I was given the go signal only a week ago with the issuance of work order for the printing press.

So, what else is new? .... aaaaarrrrgggghhh !

OTOP Visayas Video Production

Finally, the First National One Town - One Product (OTOP) Convention has ended.

It was really stressful doing the OTOP Visayas video production for this convention in three days. Can you imagine doing the conceptualization, writing and plotting of schedules for video shoots and sorting of video clips in less than a week?! This is not to mention dealing with the usual government bureaucracy on canvassing and on the financial aspects of video production.

I had to adjust to the different time schedules of the interviewees Joyce Yang and Jenifer Cruz, plus assist the scriptwriter in writing the audio content. Good thing that MediaOne / RCTV had a good video editor, copy editor, voice talent and a very patient administrative assistant.

Although the video was on OTOP Visayas, most of the information in the video is on Central Visayas. That is not surprising because we produced the video and we were working under extreme time pressure.

Still, I have to say that video shots on Yang's shop in Ayala was simply gorgeous.

Fashion accessories exporter Joyce Natalie Yang has converted part of her shop at a mall here into a permanent display center for OTOP products from Central, Eastern and Western Visayas.

Ms. Yang pointed out that the OTOP products are ready. What they really need is a strong market presence. They didn't have access to the malls.

"We should put OTOP products in the malls so people, especially the tourists, will know what these products are," she said.

Gifts, toys and houseware exporter Jenifer Cruz said he and Trade officials from Central Visayas have been going around the Visayas regions in search of new suppliers and handicraft weavers among the OTOP participants.

"What we do is look for partners in rural areas through DTI. Then, we enhance their products for export. Now, we have more than 5,000 weavers from Antequera and neighboring towns in Bohol. Over the last 10 years, we have generated about 10,000 employment opportunities," Jenifer Cruz said.

Asteria C. Caberte, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) regional director has described Mr. Cruz as a "consolidator" of OTOP products. She encouraged other exporters to do the same and help micro and small producers throughout the Visayas penetrate the domestic and export market.

Export-quality baskets that were enhanced by Mr. Cruz's company, the 33 Point 3 Exports, are among those found at Ms. Yang's shop. Initially, 13 OTOP producers have displayed their items in the shop. Among the OTOP products that are on display are coco-based gift and houseware items from Lolo Bobby's Handicrafts, an OTOP participant from Bato, Leyte; as well as sinamay and raffia items from 3SHA Handicrafts, an outfit based in Inabanga, Bohol. Others are pina handwoven items, capiz and abaca items, ceramics and terra-cotta products.

Renilda T. Kuizon, first lady of Bato and proprietor of Lolo Bobby, said the establishment of the permanent display center has helped her and other OTOP producers gain access to new markets. "We're not only after a bigger income, but we also want market exposure," she said.

Ms. Yang said Lolo Bobby products were among the best-selling items in her shop.

Ms. Caberte said the establishment of the permanent display center for OTOP products at a mall here was a breakthrough in bringing OTOP products closer to the market. "This is a Visayas-wide thing. We're helping even those producers from other regions in the Visayas," she said.

OTOP, which is patterned after the "one village-one product" program of Oita prefecture in Japan and the one tambon-one product program of Thailand, aims to assist micro, small and medium enterprises in producing and marketing distinct products made of indigenous raw materials.

Under the program, town and city mayors identify, develop and promote a product or service that represents his town or city and enjoys competitive advantage.