DTI Zamboanga City

03/09/2026

The Department of Trade and Industry – Zamboanga City Office (DTI-ZCO) conducted the 2026 Coconut Food Innovation Challenge on September 2, 2026, as part of the World Coconut Day 2026 celebrations at the East Wing, KCC Mall de Zamboanga.

The Challenge aimed to promote the creative and innovative use of coconut and coconut-derived products in food development and encourage college students to develop innovative, marketable, commercially viable products that may be adopted by local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The competition featured seven teams from four higher education institutions in Zamboanga City. Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology (ZSCMST), Western Mindanao State University (WMSU), and Winzelle International College each fielded two teams, while Universidad de Zamboanga (UZ) participated with one team.

Here are the winners for this year’s competition:

First Prize- Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology
Ivie Agustin
Ariston D. Camanlaan
Anthony G. Ramos

Second Prize - Universidad de Zamboanga
Shahad M. Laquio
Swen Patrick D. Leaño
Paul Jantzen G. Casintahan

Third Prize - Winzelle International College
Leoveme A. Angcot
Rheacil Grace Q. Antubo
John Ryan B. Malunes

The winning entries showcased the versatility of coconut as a raw material for food innovation and value addition. The activity also provided students with an opportunity to develop products with potential for reproduction, commercialization, and adoption by local MSMEs, supporting product diversification and the strengthening of the coconut industry value chain.

The 2026 Coconut Food Innovation Challenge is part of DTI-ZCO’s continuing efforts to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and value addition in the coconut industry, while encouraging young innovators to develop market-oriented coconut-based products.

03/09/2026

ATM: 2026 Coconut Innovation and Start-Up Challenge (Day 1)

02/09/2026

ATM: 2026 Coconut Food Innovation Challenge in Celebration of the World Coconut Day

28/08/2026

The Department of Trade and Industry–Zamboanga City Office (DTI-ZCO) concluded the second day of the Zamboanga City Creative Industries Planning Workshop for the Development of the 2027-2030 Creative Industries Roadmap on August 28, 2026, with stakeholders translating the identified strategic directions into concrete and actionable initiatives.

Building on the discussions and outputs from Day 1, participants focused on the development of draft annual activities that will support the implementation of the city's creative industries roadmap. The activity provided stakeholders with an opportunity to identify programs, projects, and activities that can be undertaken annually to address the needs and priorities of Zamboanga City's creative sector.

The participants aligned their plans on the following Strategic Pillars:

- Education and Development;
- Creative Production, Design and Innovation;
- Creative Spaces and Cultural Infrastructure;
- Governance, Data, and sustainable Investment;
- Creative Tourism, City Identy, and Global Exchange, and
- intercultural Inclusion and Community Participation.

The workshop also served as a platform for strengthening collaboration among creative industry stakeholders and aligning their efforts toward a common vision for the city's creative economy. Through the participatory planning process, stakeholders contributed their insights and recommendations toward establishing a more coordinated approach to the development of the sector.

The development of the draft annual activities represents a significant step toward completing the Zamboanga City Creative Industries Roadmap 2027–2030, providing a clearer pathway for the implementation of strategic interventions and initiatives in the coming years.

28/08/2026

27/08/2026

The Department of Trade and Industry–Zamboanga City Office (DTI-ZCO) spearheaded the Zamboanga City Creative Industries Planning Workshop for the Development of the 2027-2030 Creative Industries Roadmap on August 27–28, 2026 at Barcelona Hall, Marcian Garden Hotel.

The two-day planning workshop provides a venue for key stakeholders in the city's creative sector to assess the current state of the local creative industries, identify opportunities and challenges, and establish strategic directions that will guide the sector's development over the next four years.

DTI-ZCO Provincial Director Grace DC. Aduca delivered the welcome remarks, emphasizing the importance of collaborative planning in building a more dynamic and sustainable creative industry ecosystem in Zamboanga City.

The first day focused on understanding the city's creative industry landscape. Tennyl Dehm Canlas, Chair of the Zamboanga City Creative Cluster Team, presented an overview of the creative industries of Zamboanga City and assessed the sector's current situation. Meanwhile, Hon. Benjamin “BG” Guingona IV, City Councilor of Zamboanga City, discussed the mandate and role of the Zamboanga City Creative Industries Development Council.

Participants then engaged in a series of participatory activities, including Creative Industry Ecosystem Mapping, Situational Analysis and SWOT Workshop, identification of Emerging Opportunities and Challenges, Visioning of Zamboanga City's Creative Industries, and identification of Strategic Priorities.

The activity underscores DTI-ZCO's commitment to advancing the creative economy of Zamboanga City by bringing together stakeholders to collectively shape a roadmap that recognizes the city's creative assets, responds to emerging opportunities, and addresses the challenges faced by creative industry players.

27/08/2026

The Department of Trade and Industry – Zamboanga City Office (DTI-ZCO) successfully conducted the Presentation, Evaluation, and Critiquing of Design Prototypes under the OTOP Next Gen (ONG) A.C.T. Program on August 27, 2026, at the DTI-ZCO Conference Room, Zamboanga City.

The activity served as a culminating milestone in the product development journey of participating MSMEs, providing them with the opportunity to present their improved product prototypes and development outputs before a panel of design experts and evaluators. Through a comprehensive assessment process, participants received valuable insights, constructive feedback, and strategic recommendations aimed at enhancing their products' functionality, packaging, aesthetics, consumer appeal, and overall market competitiveness.

During the critiquing session, the designer - Mr. Nicolai Njord Chua together with the MSME discussed each prototype's strengths, offering expert guidance on design refinement, branding, packaging innovation, and product positioning. The recommendations provided were tailored to help MSMEs align their products with current market trends and consumer preferences while strengthening their readiness for commercial distribution and market expansion.

The session also highlighted the progress made by participating enterprises throughout the program, demonstrating their commitment to continuous innovation and product improvement. By incorporating the feedback received, MSMEs will be better equipped to develop high-quality, value-added products that can compete effectively in local and wider markets.

This activity reflects DTI's continuing commitment to nurturing innovation, enhancing product development capabilities, and empowering MSMEs to achieve sustainable growth through the OTOP Next Gen Program. Through initiatives such as these, DTI-ZCO remains steadfast in supporting local enterprises in developing competitive, market-driven products that showcase the creativity and potential of Zamboanga City's MSME sector.

26/08/2026

The Department of Trade and Industry–Supply Chain and Logistics Group (DTI-SCLG) led by Undersecretary Mary Jean T. Pacheco, together with DTI-Zamboanga City Office (DTI-ZCO) Provincial Director Grace DC Aduca, capped its Supply Chain and Logistics Intervention Mission in Zamboanga City with a focused group discussion (FGD) bringing together key players from the city’s logistics and business sectors.

The FGD gathered representatives from shipping lines, freight forwarders, trucking companies, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Bureau of Customs (BOC), micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), national government agencies (NGAs), and local sardine manufacturing companies to discuss the logistics challenges affecting businesses and identify possible interventions to improve the movement of goods in and out of the city.

The multi-sectoral consultation formed part of the mission’s application of the Investments, Infrastructure, Policy, People, and Market Linkages (MIIPP) Framework, which seeks to identify, validate, and prioritize supply chain and logistics issues through stakeholder engagement and field validation.

The discussions provided industry stakeholders with an avenue to present their experiences and concerns on logistics operations, particularly those affecting the competitiveness of MSMEs and the sardine industry. Representatives from the logistics sector and government agencies likewise shared insights on existing systems, processes, and possible areas for improvement.

The engagement is particularly significant to Zamboanga City, where the sardine industry serves as a major component of the local manufacturing sector. The city's logistics ecosystem supports the movement of raw materials into manufacturing facilities and the distribution of finished products to domestic and international markets.

Prof. Ronilo Balbieran of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) presented an overview of the economy of Zamboanga City, providing participants with a broader understanding of the city's economic landscape and the importance of efficient logistics systems in supporting local industries and business growth.

Insights and recommendations gathered during the FGD will contribute to the development of the mission's key outputs, particularly the MIIPP Issue Matrix and Prioritized Intervention Matrix, which will identify high-impact and feasible interventions, including the responsible agency, required resources or policy mechanisms, and implementation timelines.

The Supply Chain and Logistics Intervention Mission underscores DTI's commitment to strengthening the competitiveness of Zamboanga City by addressing logistics constraints, improving market linkages, and creating an environment conducive to business and investment.

25/08/2026

The Department of Trade and Industry–Supply Chain and Logistics Group (DTI-SCLG), led by Undersecretary Mary Jean T. Pacheco, continued its Supply Chain and Logistics Intervention Mission in Zamboanga City on August 24, 2026, engaging key stakeholders to identify logistics bottlenecks and explore interventions that can strengthen the city’s supply chain ecosystem.

The day began with a courtesy call on Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso, where Usec. Pacheco and the SCLG delegation discussed the objectives and direction of the Supply Chain and Logistics Intervention Mission. The meeting provided an avenue for the DTI-SCLG to gain insights into the city’s logistics and economic development priorities, as well as discuss potential areas of collaboration with the City Government.

The delegation then proceeded to ZC E & L, where discussions centered on the company’s sardine processing operations and its existing logistics concerns. The engagement allowed the DTI-SCLG and DTI-Zamboanga City Office (DTI-ZCO) to gain a better understanding of the challenges encountered by the local sardine processing industry and explore possible DTI interventions. The sardine industry is a key component of Zamboanga City’s manufacturing sector, with the city hosting numerous canned sardine manufacturers and relying significantly on maritime and fisheries-related supply chains.

The delegation also visited the Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone Authority (ZAMBOECOZONE), where discussions focused on the status of the Asian Halal Hub and the San Ramon Newport Project. The discussions highlighted the potential of these initiatives to contribute to Zamboanga City’s logistics and investment ecosystem. The mission concept identifies Halal processing facilities, cold storage, and warehousing as potential investment opportunities within the region. It also recognizes the proposed San Ramon Newport Project as a major infrastructure initiative that could help address existing limitations in the city’s maritime logistics network.

The SCLG delegation likewise met with representatives of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and Globalport, where discussions focused on port charges and port expansion programs. The engagement formed part of the mission’s assessment of policy and infrastructure concerns affecting cargo movement and port operations. The mission specifically seeks to identify policy bottlenecks, including port tariff structures, while assessing the infrastructure requirements of the Zamboanga Baseport and other logistics facilities.

The day concluded with a meeting with SOPHIL, during which the delegation presented the supply chain map for the sardine industry. The validation of the canned sardines supply chain is one of the key components of the intervention mission. The activity seeks to map the end-to-end movement of the industry’s products and identify specific points where logistical challenges may be addressed. The mission concept identifies the validation of the canned sardines supply chain map, in collaboration with industry stakeholders, as a major objective of the intervention.

The series of stakeholder engagements underscores DTI’s commitment to working with government agencies, industry players, infrastructure operators, and other partners in developing practical and impact-driven solutions to Zamboanga City’s supply chain and logistics challenges.

24/08/2026

The Department of Trade and Industry–Zamboanga City Office (DTI-ZCO), led by Provincial Director Grace DC Aduca, welcomed DTI Supply Chain and Logistics Group (SCLG) Undersecretary Mary Jean T. Pacheco and her delegation to Zamboanga City for the Supply Chain and Logistics Intervention Mission, a specialized initiative aimed at identifying, validating, and prioritizing interventions to address critical supply chain and logistics challenges in the city.

The three-day mission, scheduled from August 23 to 25, 2026, recognizes Zamboanga City’s strategic role as the commercial, industrial, and maritime hub of Zamboanga Peninsula and a gateway to the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

On her first day, Usec. Pacheco visited Zambo Tropical, one of Zamboanga City’s homegrown manufacturers of calamansi juice products. The visit provided an opportunity to explore potential market opportunities for the local product, including the possibility of featuring it in product displays in the United States, opening a potential avenue for greater market exposure and international market linkage for the local MSME.

The delegation also met with DTI-IX Regional Director Engr. Al-Zamir I. Lipae to discuss the Halal industry in Zamboanga City, particularly opportunities and interventions that can support the development of Halal-related enterprises and logistics capabilities. The concept note identifies Halal processing facilities, alongside cold storage and warehousing, as potential private-sector investment opportunities within the regional logistics ecosystem.