Abstract: The furniture industry in Capiz is an unorganized sector, a micro-small enterprise mostly home-based business with sole proprietorship. This study ascertained the production and marketability of the furniture industry in Capiz in terms of its challenges, sustainability, and prospects. Participants of the study were the 18, DTI registered furniture owners in Capiz, identified through purposive sampling. A researcher-made survey questionnaire and interview guide for gathering data. The data were analyzed and interpreted using the mean, percentages, and thematic analysis. A mixed-method research design using a convergent-parallel approach was employed. Results showed that the participants of the study were dominated by males, ages 31 to 51 years old, college graduates, and 4-10 years in business. Wood furniture was produced weekly and monthly based on order, used machine tools and workers mostly paid in “pakyaw”. They displayed their product within the area and through an online platform, catered to individual customers, and on a cash basis. The industry’s production was highly sustainable despite the challenges encountered, while, sustainable for marketability. The industry encountered challenges primarily on the start-up capital and the procurement of tools and machinery, labor force, and lacking and limited skills in designing, and only some of the owners attended seminars and training. They relied on their personal experience and personally trained their workers. Likewise, competition in marketing was a challenge because similar designs and furniture types were produced at varying prices, including customer satisfaction, delivery, and display or exhibit. Based on the results and analysis, the furniture industry in Capiz has greater prospects despite of the challenges. If given attention, support, and collaboration with the government agencies concerned, it can be organized into a cooperative for finances and identity, upgrading of quality and design using upgraded tools and machinery, glocal marketing, increase employment, and recognized entrepreneurs by affiliating with the established furniture industry in the country.

Keywords: Challenges, Production, Marketability, wood industry

Works Cited:

Mary Ann D. Cervas" PRODUCTION AND MARKETABILITY OF FURNITURE INDUSTRY IN CAPIZ: CHALLENGES, SUSTAINABILITY AND PROSPECTS", IARJSET International Advanced Research Journal in Science, Engineering and Technology, vol. 10, no. 7, pp. 330-336, 2023. Crossref https://doi.org/10.17148/IARJSET.2023.10746

| DOI: 10.17148/IARJSET.2023.10746