DOST’s Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (DOST-SETUP) has helped Tawsen Agri Ventures improve its products, expand its operations, and navigate major setbacks brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and a fire that disrupted its planned expansion.
For owner Dennis I. Lim, the program’s support went beyond the provision of equipment, extending to continued assistance as the business worked through financial and operational difficulties.
Established in 2005, Tawsen Agri Ventures initially operated as a printing and packaging enterprise before expanding into food processing and developing products using locally sourced resources from Batanes.
In 2014, Tawsen availed itself of its first DOST-SETUP assistance, acquiring printing equipment that allowed the business to produce tarpaulins, product labels, and packaging materials for its processed food products.
Lim said the intervention improved the presentation and marketability of Tawsen’s products, contributing to an estimated 200 to 300 percent increase in sales as the improved packaging coincided with the growth of tourism in Batanes.
The business also increased its workforce from three to five employees and eventually expanded into other ventures, including a hotel and restaurant.
Tawsen’s product line grew to include locally produced wine, turmeric and ginger products, and wakay or sweet potato chips, creating additional market opportunities for agricultural products sourced from the province.
Building on the gains from its first intervention, Tawsen availed itself of DOST-SETUP Phase 2 in 2019 to pursue a larger expansion.
Lim envisioned a two-storey facility that would integrate food production and tourism. The ground floor was planned as a production area where visitors could observe the processing of Tawsen products, while the second floor was intended as a museum and showcase for locally produced goods from Batanes.
The expansion, however, was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought tourism to a standstill. Tawsen later faced another setback when a fire damaged the business.
The successive challenges prevented the enterprise from fully realizing its Phase 2 plans, while its recovery in the tourism market has remained a continuing challenge.
Despite these setbacks, Lim said DOST continued to support the enterprise instead of leaving it to deal with the difficulties on its own. Assistance included flexibility in payment arrangements, giving Tawsen additional time to address its obligations while working toward recovery.
“All-out pa rin ang support nila. Nagbibigay sila ng extension of payment. Hindi sila nagpabaya sa mga clients nila,” Lim said.
For Lim, the experience highlighted another important aspect of DOST-SETUP: its role as a continuing partner of enterprises, particularly when businesses encounter circumstances beyond their control.
Tawsen Agri Ventures’ experience illustrates the challenges faced by small enterprises in island communities, where tourism, market access, and other external conditions can significantly affect business operations. At the same time, its journey shows how technology upgrading and sustained institutional support can help enterprises build capacity and pursue recovery after major disruptions.
Despite the setbacks, Lim remains appreciative of the assistance that helped Tawsen improve its operations and develop new products using Batanes’ local resources.
“SETUP has opened more opportunities for product development for us,” he said.
For Tawsen Agri Ventures, the journey continues, with DOST-SETUP remaining a partner not only in business growth but also in rebuilding and moving forward after adversity.
