CABANATUAN CITY (PIA) — The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) equipped over 100 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Central Luzon with essential skills in financial planning, digital services, and business protection through its Economic and Financial Learning Program (EFLP).
This initiative aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s call to bolster micro-entrepreneurs, reinforcing financial resilience to help businesses withstand economic challenges and sustain growth.
BSP Cabanatuan Branch Area Director Olivia Cornejo-Mallari said financial knowledge and resilience are important in preparing MSMEs for challenges such as inflation, market changes, energy-related pressures, and natural disasters.
“MSMEs need to be informed and ready to protect and grow their businesses,” Cornejo-Mallari said, emphasizing the importance of learning better business strategies, responsible financing, digitalization, and protection against fraud and scams.
The EFLP, conducted in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry, featured discussions on cash flow management, smart borrowing, digital financial services, and insurance solutions, as well as bank account opening and information booths.
For MSME participant Cherry Lyn Zate from Gapan City, Nueva Ecija, the program provided practical insights that can help improve and expand her pastry, customized cake, and coffee shop business.
Zate said the program also gave her a better understanding of the strategies she can use to further grow her enterprise.
The BSP said stronger MSMEs can contribute to a stronger economy, as MSMEs comprise more than 99 percent of businesses in the Philippines.
The initiative complements the administration’s efforts to ease the burden on micro-entrepreneurs, including the one-time tax abatement cited by President Marcos in his fifth State of the Nation Address, while helping businesses build the knowledge and resilience needed for sustainable growth. (CLJD/CNG, PIA Region 3-Nueva Ecija)
