LGU’S BE AGGRESSIVE ON OTOP-DT

March 16, 2025 Metro BLISTT

BAGUIO CITY

A top official of the Department of Trade and Industry-Cordillera (DTI-CAR) strongly urged local government units (LGUs) to be
aggressive in developing One Town,One-Product (OTOP). Regional Director Raymond G. Panhon of DTI-CAR, made the call as he led other government officials in reporting his agency’s 2024 accomplishments in Tuesday’s (March 11) Bagong Pilipinas forum held at Paragon Hotel here. DTI-CAR data showed Mt. Province has the least one town, one product with (2) followed by Apayao (4), Ifugao (5) Baguio-Benguet (6) as compared to Kalinga (27) for a total of 62. “I encourage lgu’s to be more aggressive on OTOP.

They (lgu’s) know better areas for investments,” Panhon said. “It’s high time for our local leaders to change their mindsets” the DTI official
stressed. “Many thought that OTOP is just banana chips ..its more than that.” The problem with other lgu’s, they focused more on
infrastructure projects, because that’s where the money is ‘SOPs’ the official lamented. Recalling, OTOP was proposed by then President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as early as 2002 and launched in 2004. DTI record – one town, one product is a priority stimulus program for Micro, Small and Medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) as government’s customized intervention to drive inclusive local economic growth.. ’pride of place.’

Years, OTOP have strengthened MSMEs entrepreneurship -it had hastened Filipinos’ creativity, innovation-created value , developed managerial skills aimed at generating profits. In 2024, OTOP sales across the region reached over P167.435-million sales, generated 940 jobs and assisted 1,302 MSMEs. Other development, Assistant Regional Director Samuel Gallardo, said for 2025 some P2.8 million was allocated for Shared Service Facilities priority projects — vegetable/ food processing (kimchi production) ,coffee center for learning entrepreneurship (Tabuk City). And coffee processing project (Bauko,Mt Province) while 23 other SSF projects are in the pipeline.

Primo Agatep/ABN with reporrs Jervic Ivan Carbonell/ UB-Intern