CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga (PIA) -- Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Central Luzon is gearing up for digitization and innovation in 2022.
 
DTI Regional Director Leonila Baluyut shared that they are eyeing to interconnect micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) digitally for information dissemination.
 
“We would like to do this so that when there will be programs and projects, they will just have it in one click email blasts, or one click chat blast for anything that we could immediately know… This is very important given the call of the times,” she said. 
 
Baluyut added that they are also moving towards strengthening the digital connection between their officials through virtual programs and projects given the limitations on physical movement brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
In addition, DTI is set to build up a more impactful partnership with the academe and researchers by looking for investors or private individuals to do business about their research.
 
“Bulacan State University, our partner for research and innovation, has come up with research on ready to eat foods such as arrozcaldo and champorado. Everytime we have disasters, we are giving out noodles and other processed foods, but this research has proven that distribution of healthy foods could be an option,” Baluyut cited.
 
She said the agency is banking on this study as it will be more cost efficient and effective when ready to eat foods are to be distributed during relief operations.
 
Meanwhile, DTI Assistant Regional Director Brigida Pili stated that they are also innovating for Central Luzon’s Regional Inclusive Innovation Center branded as the Technological Hive of Regional Innovation for a Vibrant Ecosystem (THRIVE) to propel for a stronger innovation ecosystem and solidify convergence for inclusive and sustainable development.
 
“THRIVE sets out to strengthen the region’s innovation ecosystem by improving stakeholder access to innovation and creating platforms for dialogue, collaboration, and partnerships that would contribute to inclusive and sustainable development,” she explained.
 
The THRIVE Central Luzon Guidebook which is a step-by-step guide that gives MSMEs an overview of the innovation process, identifying sample activities along with brief information on related government, academe, and industry programs, projects, and innovation initiatives, is already developed and downloadable at https://thrivecentralluzon.com/.
 
For the initiative, DTI has partnered with Department of Science and Technology, and Commission on Higher Education with the assistance of United States Agency for International Development Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for Development as the program consultant. (MJSC/JLDC-PIA 3)