DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, Oct. 20 (PIA) -- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has recognized Saint’s Baked Delights as the best provincial and regional adopter of the Small Enterprises Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) during the Regional Science and Technology Week on Oct. 14 in Cebu City.

Saint’s Baked Delights produces and supplies customized burger buns, hotdog buns, and sliced bread to established hotels and restaurants in Dumaguete City.

The firm received a plaque of recognition and P5,000 as the outstanding provincial SETUP project in Negros Oriental.

The bakery also received another plaque of recognition and P20,000 for winning another category which is the 2022 outstanding regional SETUP project.

In 2020, Saint’s Baked Delights became the first adopter of the enhanced nutribun technology in Negros Oriental as well as in the region.

The enhanced nutribun is a technology developed by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of DOST (DOST-FNRI) which aims to fight malnutrition during the pandemic.

Proprietor of Saint’s Baked Delights, Jason Ian Sy, said their production capacity increased due to DOST SETUP.

Sy is thankful to DOST for the said assistance. “Yung dating nagagawa namin na less that 25kg a day, now we can make almost 75 kg a day,” Jason said.

SETUP is DOST's nationwide program that aims to encourage and assist micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in adopting technological innovations to improve his products and operations.

Through SETUP, the DOST helps improve the MSMEs' productivity and competitiveness by providing them a loan that is payable in three years.

 “With the help of SETUP, we were able to supply a project from the National Nutrition Council (NNC). After naming maging adopter ng enhanced nutribun, nagkaroon ng demand from NNC dito sa Central Visayas and we were able to supply their needs for their malnutrition program," Jason said.

“In Dumaguete City, Saint’s Baked Delights has become synonymous with DOST’s enhanced nutribun. DOST Negros Oriental is proud of what this business has achieved. After receiving the DOST assistance through the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program, this firm has become instrumental in the fight against malnutrition through its enhanced nutribun production in the province of Negros Oriental," said DOST Negros Oriental Provincial S&T Director Atty. Gilbert Arbon.

Now on its second availment of the assistance, the bakery has established a new processing area with higher production capacity.

It has expanded its workforce from three employees to 11 employees and obtained the license to operate from the Food and Drug Administration.

During the early stages of the pandemic, Saint’s Baked Delights became the first adopter of the enhanced nutribun not only in the province but in the region as well, said Arbon. (JCT/PIA7 Negros Oriental with reports from Reinhold Jek Abing of DOST)