DAVAO CITY — The Department of Trade and Industry Davao Region office (DTI-11) is funding the construction of an P11-million Fabrication Laboratory (FabLab) at the University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP) by the third quarter this year.
The FabLab, with several modern equipment including 3D laser printers, will help manufacturers in the region create prototypes of their products at a lower cost.
“We already have the funds and are just finalizing what equipment to procure,” DTI-11 Assistant Regional Director Edwin O. Banquerigo said in an interview during the Civil Society Organizations and Stakeholders Consultation held in the city Tuesday.
Nonfood industries such as wood, gift items, and metalworks are among those that would benefit from the laboratory.
DTI previously turned over a mini FabLab to the Mindanao Trade Expo Foundation with P1.7 million worth of equipment, including a 3D printer, milling/cutting machine and a set of information technology equipment for teleconferencing.
The FabLab concept was started at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to help grassroots communities by allowing small and medium-scale enterprises make prototypes and scale models of their products with the help of technology.
The P11M FabLab is part of the P34 million shared service facility (SSF) projects of the DTI regional office for 2018.
As of 2016, Davao Region had 164 SSFs. — Carmencita A. Carillo
