IT was recently announced that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is working on promoting entrepreneurship among Filipinos to take advantage of the integration of markets with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
From comments by Ceferino Rodolfo, assistant secretary for the Industry Development Group at the DTI, the thrust is going to be in helping budding “taipans” in the development of manufactured goods. Specifically mentioned was the project at the Bohol Island State University known as the Fabrication Laboratory (FabLab). The FabLab is a project between the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) and the Department of Science and Technology.
Participants in the FabLab will be able to create prototypes of products that they want to sell in the market. According to Jica, “the FabLab allows manufacturers to create prototypes of their designs faster, create scale
models, illustrate graphic designs, combine local materials and mass-produce products.”
The FabLab concept is not new, having been started in 2001. Currently there are over 400 around the world. The key to the idea is providing computer-aided technology for the design and fabrication of these products in hopes of attracting interest in mass producing the items. The FabLab gives the opportunity for individuals with a good idea to go to the next step of actually building something without first having to raise large amounts of money for the initial development.
The idea that this plays into the future of the Asean integration on more open markets in the region is perhaps a bit of wishful thinking. The first years of Asean integration is going to see the region’s existing manufacturers rushing to take advantage of the great Asean consumer and business market.
Nonetheless, the FabLab concept has grown exponentially with there having been only 125 in 2013, and now more the three times that number. While domestic manufacturing has grown significantly in the last three years, the Philippines is not exactly at the forefront of design creativity for the marketplace nor at the cutting edge of manufacturing techniques and processes.
Any program that seeks to both encourage and facilitate some of our best and brightest into manufacturing is very welcomed.
The further of every country lies with the next generation and not the one before it. Those who have the ability and the opportunity to receive higher education have too often taken their skills and used them to benefit other countries. Perhaps in the coming years there will be more FabLabs in the Philippines. That would be a positive and important step to reduce our “brain drain” and build a more diversified and inclusive economy.
Image credits: Jimbo Albano