DTI, Carungay kick off TRIP program in 9 regions

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-7) and designer Butch Carungay have started to roll out the nationwide program called TRIP or Travel Retail Immersion Program in nine regions in the Philippines.

DTI-7 regional director Asteria Caberte announced yesterday that the program aims to help communities around the country to improve their livelihood and eventually touch base with the commercial landscape.

Caberte and Carungay are heading the TRIP program that is currently on near implementation stage, starting with regions 4 (A and B), 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, and Caraga.

In Mindoro for instance, Caberte said the TRIP project is going to develop the Jade stone mining, which is apparently rich in some parts of the region.

Initially, TRIP also has touched base with the Mangyan Tribe in Oriental Mindoro, and Tagbanwa Tribe in Palawan.

Caberte said Carungay's expertise in designing, global trading, and tourism retail through District 32 at the Mactan International Airport, could largely contribute in training the communities linking them directly to retailers.

The program, which will take a year, is seen to boost the social entrepreneurship business platform in the country, said Caberte.

These communities, she said which have huge potential to catch the taste of both local and foreign tourists will be developed to reach their capabilities in business management, quality standard, packaging, and marketing.

Travel retail industry alone grew 35 percent last year as more tourists, both local and foreign, turn to Filipino made products as their homecoming gifts to families and friends abroad or in other parts of the country.

"There are plenty of communities across the country whose products have the big potential to be known in the local and global markets with the right intervention by the government as well as private sector," said Caberte in an interview.

The program is also aimed to sustain the growth of the travel retail industry here in preparation for the influx of cheaper travel retail items from the Asean region.

Caberte said that the Philippines has to further guard its homeground, as foreigners, such as those from neighboring countries in Asia are coming in to sell Philippine souvenir products, There are even souvenir items that are made in China."

In Cebu, TRIP already started the up-cycling and recycling training in some communities within Metro Cebu, while the program is also currently identifying beneficiary communities in Barili and Samboan. — Ehda M. Dagooc (FREEMAN)