DAVAO CITY – A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed here recently to further bring development through innovation among key industries in the region particularly on processed fruits and functional foods.
Heads of several government agencies, industry players and academe, as well as the City Government of Davao have sealed their commitment to strengthen collaboration through the Regional Inclusive Innovation Center (RIIC) in Davao Region.
Anchored on the Inclusive Innovation Industrial Strategy or i3s growth model of the Philippine Innovation Act, key industries in the region are tapped to fast-track industrial growth through innovation and to keep the local MSMEs globally competitive and adopt technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence or Robotics, in the business to be at par with the 4th Industrial Revolution.
To foster a culture of innovation, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), together with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and Department of Science and Technology (DOST) collaborated in pursuing the enhancement of innovation ecosystem, especially that Davao is identified as one of the pilot areas for the RIIC implementation. Other areas are Bicol, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro City.
Dubbed as Innovation through Science & Technology and Risk Resilient-based Initiatives toward Knowledge Economy or iSTRIKE Davao, the RIIC aims to harness the region’s thriving innovation ecosystem. This is composed of government agencies, academic institutions, and dynamic industry players that work together in developing innovative products and services for processed fruits and functional food sectors. The latter refers to the food group that provides additional health benefits when compared to the usual diet.
While innovation is considered crucial in the success of entrepreneurs, the initiative’s coverage has expanded to the creatives sector. Specifically, this includes the fashion, wearables and homestyle, gifts, toys and housewares (GTH), and digital industries. These are deemed to have high impact on economic growth.
Trade Undersecretary for Competitiveness and Innovation Rafaelita M. Aldaba expressed the agency’s strong push for industries to innovate and migrate to Industry 4.0. Referring to the recently approved Philippine Innovation Act and the Innovative Startup Act, Aldaba said that the Php1 billion budget allocation mandated by these legislations provide a big push for innovation.
“This is really something that we could already start with. I believe that we would be able to come up with very impactful programs and activities that would make a difference in terms of industry performance as well as in terms of changing the direction of our collaboration and cooperation,” she said.
The DTI executive also emphasized during the MOU-signing at The Pinnacle Hotel and Suites that innovation is equivalent to productivity.
“It is through innovation that we will be able to increase our productivity,” she said. “By investing more on innovation, we will be able to have more modern industries.” Thus, DTI, in collaboration with its partners, will pursue more innovation-related interventions.
DTI-Davao Regional Director Maria Belenda Q. Ambi shared that numerous interventions related to innovation have been implemented already by government agencies and academic institutions since the onset of the RIIC. However, it was noted that an anchor organization must be identified. This would help in the speedy identification and adoption of innovation initiatives.
“The private organization’s partnership with the government and the academe will an asset for the private sector. With our strategy to hold dialogues and consultations, it would be easier for us, too, to reach out to the private sector if there is one group that represents them,” Ambi said.
As a result of this realization, the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Incorporated (DCCCII) was identified. With a wide membership base of 300 and the voice of more than 40,000 establishments, the organization could reach more entrepreneurs and other stakeholders throughout the region.
The signatories of the MOU are DCCCII president John Carlo B. Tria, United States Agency for International Development-Science, Technology Research and Innovation for Development Program (USAID-STRIDE) Chief of Party Richard S. Abendan, DTI-Davao Regional Director Ambi, DOST Regional Director Anthony C. Sales represented by ARD Kenneth Barroga, DICT Mindanao Cluster 3 Director Erlito C. Tancontian represented by Engr. Virgil Fuentes, CHED Regional Director Maricar R. Casquejo, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Director Maria Lourdes D. Lim, Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Executive Director Ricardo M. Oñate, Jr., Department of Education (DepEd) Regional Director Evelyn R. Fetalvero, , and witnesses to the MOU signing were USec Aldaba and Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte represented by 1st District Councilor Nilo Abellera.♦
Date of Release: 6 March 2020