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DOST’s enterprise upgrading program fetes pili nut company for technology adoption

Tuesday, 24 July 2012 02:57

J. Emmanuel Pastries, a pili nut processing business which started out on a Php 500 capital and now a multi-million business, is the very first Best National adoptor of the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP). SETUP is one of the priority programs of DOST that aims to boost small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) productivity and competitiveness by assisting them in adopting technological innovations to improve their operations. When asked about the main ingredients for their success, J. Emmanual Pastries co-owner Maria Lomibao said that these include “small capital, perseverance, faith, and DOST.” Ms.Lomibao was very grateful of the recognition their company got on top of all the help extended by DOST.  “My husband and I are overwhelmed by DOST’s generosity,” she said, as she accepted the plaque of recognition. J. Emmanuel Pastries availed of SETUP in 2003 to acquire additional equipment for the company.  One of the company’s acquisitions was the gasifier which utilized waste pili shells as fuel for the cooking. The company was able to solve the problem of accumulating waste from the pili shells and realized a 50-percent savings from its fuel consumption with the use of the gasifier, a technology developed by Industrial Technology Development Institute of DOST. Aside from the gasifier, the company also acquired roasting machine, vacuum sealer, oven, foot sealer, extractor, evaporator, bottle sterilizer, and stainless table.  In addition, the company improved its plant layout and design.  Its employees also underwent training activities on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) compliance to ensure the quality of their products. Ms.Lomibao shared the ways in which the company benefited from the DOST program. The sealer is acquired through DOST-SETUP.