Symphony Technologies, a startup company being 'incubated' by the UP/Ayala Technology Business Incubator (TBI) program, is developing design software meant for use by the D'cor Makers of Paete and Pakil, a network of some 70 small and mostly home-based businesses that produce wood carvings, toys, and other handicrafts.

Symphony is only one of the nine startups getting assistance from TBI, which received a US$400,000 grant two years ago from a World Bank-funded program called Information for Development (infoDev) that seeks to channel ICT to spur economic growth in developing economies such as the Philippines.