MALOLOS CITY, Bulacan—Thousands of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the province received a much needed boost with the inauguration of the Bulacan Packaging and Toll Packing Center (BPSTPC) on February 24.

“This is a big boost to some 35,000 MSMEs in the province, of which at least 5,000 are involved in production, manufacturing and value adding,” said Jovito Saguisin, head of the Provincial Cooperative and Economic Development Office (PCEDO) said.

A joint project of the provincial government and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the BPSTPC is the first and only packaging center in the country operated by a local government unit.

It is aimed at enabling small food processors and other manufacturers in the province to compete in the global market.

Saguinsin said that BPSTPC services is not limited to improvement of product packaging but product improvement as well including shelf life extension.

“We have already met with small food processors in Bulacan and conducted good manufacturing practices (GMP) work shops to improve their products quality,” he said.

GMP involves proper workers’ hygiene, and production facility sanitation.

Dr. Conrado Oliveros, the DOST Central Luzon Director who came from San Rafael town, said that many local manufacturers are still confine on their “back yard operations.”

“That is just normal, because many food processors began at home until they hit it big,” he said and added, “however, they must also conform the demands on quality of their products by their market.”

He noted that for Bulacan products to be more competitive, it must have longer shelf life and better packaging.

“Eventually, local manufacturers must enter the global market for bigger sales, but they must be ready to face the competition,” Oliveros said.

The DOST represented by Oliveros also handed a P1.4-M worth of check to the provincial government during the inauguration of the BPSTPC.

It is their counterpart fund for the project which will be operated by the Bulacan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI).

Earlier, Governor Josie dela Cruz said that the BPSTPC will greatly help Tatak Bulakenyo products in terms of packaging and quality assurance.

Tatak Bulakenyo are distinct Bulakenyo products like the minasa from Bustos, pastillas from San Miguel, ensaymada from Malolos, Paombong Vinegar, Kapeng tagalong from Doña Remedios Trinidad town, longganiza from Calumpit, smoked milkfish from Hagonoy, and others.

All are recipients of Tatak Bulakenyo seal that represents excellence and quality.

This is the Bulacan version of the one-town-one-product strategy of Thailand, which according to Saguinsin, they will developed at 2,000 by the year 2007.