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| Couple Mary Jane and Henry Raca have reaped success in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) cosmetics market, thanks to technology passed on to them by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)'s Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program. The awards their company has won include Global Islamic Economy Champion Award in Dubai from Prime Group, Canadian Health Accreditation in Cosmetics and Skincare, the Best Innovative Product Award in South Luzon during the Department of Trade and Industry’s Gawad SME and 2020 InJap Sia Outstanding Young Entrepreneur Awards Finalist. (Image Source: Philippine News Agency/Mary Jane Raca) |
DOST (Department of Science and Technology) Batangas is calling on micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to participate in its Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) so that they can avail of technologies that will help them become internationally competitive. In an interview with the Philippine News Agency, DOST-Batangas Science Research Specialist Maico Hernandez said his office is offering small entrepreneurs technology transfer on machinery, equipment, testing, food safety, Halal certification, and packaging and labeling, among others. “Through SETUP, MSMEs can acquire machinery to improve the productivity and efficiency of their operations and cater to the demand of their market. As productivity increases, quality also increases especially in the sector of food manufacturing and cosmetic industry,” said Hernandez.
SETUP enables MSMEs to increase sales and production, streamlines and improves company operations and branding, upgrades the quality of products and services, and makes them competitive in their respective industry. Hernandez noted that with the help of the DOST, a Lipa City-based company was recently recognized as the first Filipino skincare company to have their products available in all markets in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). “Their company started their business at the back of their house with a Php5,000 capital. When their operations are becoming labor intensive, we provide them equipment and know-how to be able to speed up their production and cater to market demand,” he said. The program also helped the company increase their branding and avoid economic loss from product rejects and recalls as well as enhance product safety and quality.
Meanwhile, C&H Cosmetic Industry's chief financial officer Mary Jane Raca said she and her husband got involved in the DOST’s SETUP program in 2014 in hopes of hitting the export market. “My husband, who is from Quezon province, worked as a janitor until we started business in 2005. When volume of the production increased, the DOST helped us to be globally competitive through additional machinery like mixers and pillow wraps as well as training in marketing and personnel management,” said Raca. In 2021, DOST-Calabarzon named their company as its Best Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) Adopter. To date, the company is exporting its products across the globe including countries in Asia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Africa, North America, and Australia, among others.
Raca said amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, they developed new products such as alcohol and sanitizer to adjust to the needs of the public. “We put up our manufacturing plant in San Antonio, Quezon to provide livelihood to my husband’s kababayans… Henry even contracted Covid but our employees were our inspiration. And since we were not priority products, we must be flexible by producing alcohol,” she added. Raca said the DOST continues to give their firm technical advice despite its already being an established business.
(With words by Pot Chavez, Philippine News Agency)
