LEGAZPI City – After their successful project visits in Naga and Camarines Sur, the Southern Luzon S&T Roadshow led by Secretary Estrella Alabastro of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) proceeded to Albay to visit four more local industries being supported by the DOST.

Aboard two buses from Manila, the entourage visited the following homegrown industries in the province:

Prime Legacy, Inc.
Formerly Nacion Handicraft, Prime Legacy in Tagas, Daraga, Albay aspired to be an exporter of abaca and other natural fiber-based handicrafts and requested for manufacturing and productivity extension and export promotion and other DOST assistance since 1999. DOST provided productivity consultancy services and trained the firm on    production    systems,    materials

Department of Science and Technology Secretary Estrella Alabastro talks on the successful applications of S&T, and Research and Development (R&D) on micro-, small, and medium enterprises, the industries that contribute heavily on national productivity. Secretary Alabastro launched the National Science and Technology Week, July 21-26, in Legazpi City. Joey Natividad

management and space  maximization. In addition, DOST conducted training on basic and advanced dyeing and pretreatment of natural fibers. It also assisted the firm in availing of training programs related to exporting.

By year 2003, the firm which used to market its products locally became Prime Legacy, an exporting firm.

Automated Duck Egg Processing
The project attempts to enhance productivity by semi-mechanizing its production system. The project consists of providing a 50,000-capacity, electric incubator to process raw duck eggs into duck-egg embryo (balut). This is necessary to ensure productivity enhancement. Technical consultancies to improve duck-raising, processing of other by products of duck eggs were also provided.

From a production level of 5,000 eggs/cycle, the enterprise which is located in Ubaliw, Polangui, Albay is now processing up to 50,000 raw duck eggs per 13-day cycle. The firm caters to at least 400 duck-egg retailers throughout Bicol and also provides constant income to 200 duck-raisers by supplying raw eggs. The enterprise has already turned over the equipment back to DOST 5 and is now being used by another beneficiary in Santiago Young, Nabua, Camarines Sur.

SOFROCOR Enterprises
One of the few abaca and other natural fiber-based handicraft exporters in Albay, Sofrocor Enterprises in Ligao City is another DOST beneficiary where its workers were trained on basic and advanced dyeing and pre-treatment of natural fibers. The DOST interventions resulted to 10% increase in the firm’s manpower requirement, at least 10% increase of production volume and 2% increase in annual gross revenues. It also diversified its products to include lesser-used forest products

San Roque Weavers Association
A DOST beneficiary since 2002, the san Roque Weavers’ Association was provided with a series of training specifically on advanced handloom weaving, advanced dyeing, use and operation of a filamenting machine, designing, pinukpok production, and other weaving technologies and the provision of the filamenting machine and the PTRI-designed and MIRDC-fabricated Rotary Press. Pinukpok or abaca fabric production is now their major product line in addition to existing fiber-based handicraft. The project doubled the daily wage pay of tinagak makers from P75 to P150. The price of abaca sinamay increased from P75 to P500 per meter due to the technology.

The roadshow was part of the DOST’s nationwide activities in observance of the National Science and Technology Week.