Section 9Sec./Art. 9

OTOP Program Components.- A comprehensive package of assistance to OTOP Philippines Program beneficiaries shall be provided such as, but not limited to, the following areas:

(a) Product Development, including:

(1) Product Design - design assistance to new products, product adaptation, product diversification, and expansion of existing product lines;

(2) Packaging and Labeling assistance to new packaging, improvement of package design, or labeling;

(3) Technology Updating - conduct workshops on new technology procedures, materials, and processing to increase production quality and quantity; and

(4) Product Enhancement - provide seminars to increase design awareness and appreciation of product or merchandise development and the industrial design profession.

The DTI and the Department of Science and technology (DOST), in coordination with the concerned LGU, shall provide the means to facilitate knowledge sharing and technology transfer in all areas related to product development.

(b) Capacity Building through training opportunities focusing on improving the human aspect of OTOP Philippines, including business skills training and business counseling in coordination with the DTI, Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA);

(c) Standards and Market Compliance where beneficiaries shall be trained and capacitated to observe standards and comply with the requirements of the DTI-Bureau of Philippine Standards (DTI-BPS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), and other concerned govenrment agencies.1aшphi1 Monitoring and evaluation schemes shall be developed and maintained in consultation with these agencies to ensure that products under the OTOP Philippines conform to these standards;

(d) Market Access and Product Promotion where beneficiaries shall receive support in market access and promotion of products across different platforms. These platforms may include multimedia advocacy campaigns, trade fairs, ad OTOP Philippines Hubs. The DTI, Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Department of Tourism (DOT), and Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC) shall therefore implement a promotional campaign in local and international markets for OTOP Philippines products; and

(e) Eligibility for government assistance which includes a minimal set of rules and simplification of procedures and requirements for government agencies dealing with OTOP beneficiaries and as provided under Section 4 of Republic Act No. 9501.

The DTI, in coordination with other government agencies, shall also formulate a program to provide the OTOP beneficiaries with easier access to credit or capital infusion for the establishment, development, or growth of their business, if necessary.