MANILA, Philippines - In a bid to extend its services to furniture-makers in the Visayas and Mindanao, the Department of Science and Technology-Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI) opened in Lahug, Cebu City a satellite furniture testing center. The project is funded by the DOST Grants-in-Aid (DOST-GIA) and supervised by DOST-Region 7.
“After consulting with local industry players thru DOST-7, we were able to identify Cebu as a strategic area to host a furniture testing facility,†said Victor Revilleza, technical manager of the FPRDI National Furniture Testing Center (NFTC). Revilleza cited Cebu’s proximity to NFTC clients in the Visayas and Mindanao provinces. He also recognized Cebu’s booming furniture industry, with some of its local craftsmen being internationally recognized for their innovative furniture pieces.
Established in 2002, the NFTC is a one-stop-shop facility based in Los Baños, Laguna that evaluates the quality and design of furniture in conformance to local and international test standards.