CFIF earmarks P2M to fund R&D program

To help improve the quality and design capability of furniture makers, the Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation Inc. (CFIF) earmarked P2 million to fund a Research & Development Program.

The R&D program of CFIF is aimed at "raising the bar" of Cebu furniture manufacturing standard, especially in sustaining its niche in design, as other competing countries are spending large amount to snatch Philippine-made furniture share in the world market.

A series of design and quality improvement workshops will be conducted by CFIF to its 180 members in Cebu, with the help of an international furniture expert Josef Bauer.

Bauer is a European consultant on Industrial design, fashion and CAD (Computer Aided Design), and has wide experience in design and product development, production management and business development in both Europe and in Asia.

The Design Trends Series organized by CFIF is a six-day seminar which will start today (July 26) at the Sarrosa International Hotel, and will culminate on August 3 (2006), discussing on different areas of design trends and product development topics.

CFIF executive director Ruby B. Salutan said aside from the P2 million budget from the internal fund of CFIF, international funding agencies have also offered their support, such as the EU (European Union) Asia Invest, and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) through its Pearl-2 project.

According to Salutan, CFIF members will be updated on the design trends in the international market, and world's increasing requirement for quality, in order to sustain or even improve exporters' market share in the world furniture market.

Salutan said the battered furniture industry has to work within its own, as it can not hope and expect support from the Philippine government.

While other countries, which are started to take the Philippine share of furniture market, have gotten full support from their governments, in the Philippines, manufacturers have to be self-supporting.

Despite the pronouncements from the government side for its intent to help the furniture export or the design advantage of the industry, CFIF board of trustee Laurie Boquiren said "government support? It's only in our dreams."

The industry is haunted by the fact that the Philippine furniture industry is now lagging behind its Asian neighbors.

According to Boquiren, realities blatantly showed that a strong hold of China and a consistent rise of Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia in the furniture export industry.

In an earlier interview with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) undersecretary Zoraida Amalia C. Alonzo, she said that the government is intensifying its move for the formation of creative industry in the Philippines.

Alonzo emphasized that Cebu has a lot of creative people that should be developed well, and strengthened.

"Cebu has majority of creative people in the Philippines. This is a highly-priced commodity, this should be nurtured and developed very well," she stressed.

Cebu's fashion jewelry, furniture, gifts-toys-and-houseware sectors can sustain their niche in the world market, if the creative people will be supported by generous help from the government and from their own sectors. However, she did not elaborate what specific programs being formulated and to be introduced, to help develop the creative industry.