SOME 1,200 members of the Tinongdan Indigenous People’s Organization (TINPO) in Itogon, Benguet are venturing into the metalwork industry with the assistance of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Cordillera office.
The group is seeking to start up in the metalwork and fabrication industry making windows, doors, tables, farming tools, and other possible products.
“The group asked for metal fabrication because 32 of their members have knowledge and skills in metalworks and welding. Some had trained under Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA),” Benguet Provincial Science and Technology Director Sheila Marie Claver said.
According to Claver, TINPO saw a gap in the market to fill as Tinongdan currently does not have a metalwork or fabrication business. The group is expected to service Itogon locals, as well as neighboring towns of Bokod, Benguet, and Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya.
TINPO’s workshop is expected to rise this year in a lot owned by the group.
In terms of assistance, the DOST-CAR has spent some P376,320 to provide the group with necessary equipment such as a compressor, drill press, and a welding machine.
“We are also looking at the possibility of working with TESDA-Benguet to make the facility as a training site for their NCII n program on metalworks so that residents will no longer have to travel to Baguio City to get the certification,” Claver said.
