A craft industry player has appealed to national government agencies to continue developing and assisting entrepreneurs to level up to achieve sustainable growth in the global marketplace and enable them to launch more Filipino brands.

Christina Gaston, president of Association of Negros Producers (ANP) and owner of Hacienda Crafts Company Inc., said the government should play an enabling role for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as they strengthen supply chains.

“We see the opportunities but we can’t do it alone. We need investments, especially in areas of technology, digital technology, actually in so many other areas,” she said during the recent General Membership Meeting of the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc.

Gaston underscored the importance of sustainable production and circular production for bringing about sustainable development.

Circular thinking

Citing circularity expert Dr. Leyla Acaroglu, founder of The UnSchool, Disrupt Design and Swivel Skills, Gaston said circular thinking is about seeing flows and relationships between things, instead of just the obvious parts of the system.

“This is why we use a whole system for the circular economy. This enables design solutions that fit the bigger picture. Traditional design approaches often rely on developing products and services in isolation of the systems that they draw on to be created, then feed into, across their life,” she said quoting Acaroglu.

Gaston said this refers to products, the materials they are made of, and how the material is made and used to create products.

Sustainable community-based model

She said her company considered its community-based model sustainable as it uses such sustainable natural materials as coconut twigs and abaca, providing livelihood through the supply chain.

“So we have to make sure that our suppliers throughout the supply chain are also equipped and knowledgeable and up to date not only with the quantity of the material but we are hoping it goes beyond that to science and technology for the material,” she said.

Gaston said they are banking on the Department of Trade and Industry-Design Center of the Philippines and Department of Science and Technology to help MSMEs build capacity.