Marcos wants scaled-up manufacturing, production for small businesses

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday said he is hoping to scale up the manufacturing and production processes for small businesses.

While in Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan, Marcos, accompanied by Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr., inspected the Nutridense Food Manufacturing Corporation (NFMC), a small business supported by government resources.

NFMC is a micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) that is supported by the government and is a technology-driven food manufacturing hub. Addressing local reporters, Marcos said that the government had supported the NFMC in its development through research and development (R&D).

“Now, ang isa sa pinakamalaking problema na lagi natin hinaharap, marami tayong mga magagaling na scientist, marami tayong mga researchers, pero mula sa laboratoryo hanggang sa manufacturing, ‘yung pag-scale up ng production, ‘yun ang kailangan talagang pag-aralan,” Marcos said.

(Now, one of the biggest problems we face is, we have a lot of great scientists, a lot of researchers, but from the laboratory to manufacturing, the scaling up of the production, that is what needs to be studied.)

“And that is what is happening here. They have, together with the R&D, of course, the formula of the actual products, and the manufacturing process also has to be taught,” he added.

Marcos said the government is also assisting the NFMC for additional machines to increase production.

NFMC is not just manufacturing food but making nutritious food, Marcos explained. The food manufacturer is supported by the DOST’s Small Enterprises Technology Upgrading Program and DOST–Food and Nutrition Research Institute.

Marcos inspects feeding and health programs

While the President was in Pangasinan, Marcos also inspected the implementation of the Department of Education’s School-Based Feeding Program at the Sta. Barbara Central School. This included 50 severely undernourished learners, according to the Presidential Communications Office.

There was also a Program at Yaman ng Kalusugan at Kalinga Caravan, which served around 200 learners, parents and teachers. They were given access to free medical consultations, dental checkups, medicine and more. —Jean Mangaluz/RF, GMA News