MEXICO, Pampanga (PIA) — Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) shared its programs geared in assisting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Central Luzon.
Pursuant to Republic Act 10644, the agency established Negosyo Centers (NCs) which serve as its satellite offices in towns and cities.
DTI Regional Information Officer Nerson Ray Romero said these NCs provide access to various business development services for MSMEs.
“In Region 3, all local government units (LGUs) have NCs and they have business counselors to help in terms of doing business…The plan of the government is to gradually expand MSMEs. With the help of our business counselors, we will be able to do this,” he explained during the Kapihan ng Mamamayan: Pulong-Tulong sa Kaunlaran of Philippine Information Agency which was held in Mexico, Pampanga.
There are 140 NCs in Central Luzon as of December 2022.
Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa (PPG), on the other hand, which is a livelihood seeding and entrepreneurship development program.
“In PPG, DTI will help you to start, or improve your business. We will give you business counseling, we will enroll you in training, seminars, and workshops. After these, we will provide you with livelihood packages,” he told attendees who are mostly female community leaders.
Qualified beneficiaries under PPG include MSMEs affected by calamities, families of uniformed personnel who were killed in action or wounded in action, victims of armed conflict, beneficiaries of Balik Probinsiya program and refugees.
They may receive livelihood packages such as sari-sari stores, carinderia, bigasan, tailoring, manicure or pedicure, barbershop, meat-processing center, or agri-based processing center.
Moreover, DTI has the Livelihood Seeding Program-Negosyo Serbisyo Sa Barangay (LSP-NSB) which allows a wider reach of business development assistance by bringing government services closer to the people in partnership with LGUs.
Eligible for LSP-NSB are MSMEs in priority barangays in least developed areas as identified by DTI Regional and Provincial Offices, or those under priority clusters including bamboo, cacao, high-value coconut products, coffee, processed fruits and nuts, and wearables and homestyles.
Meanwhile, DTI assists cooperatives under its Shared Service Facilities (SSF) program to improve productivity and efficiency through better access to technology.
This is through the provision of machinery, equipment, tools, systems, accessories and other auxiliary items, skills and knowledge under a shared system.
“DTI will lend you the tools and equipment for you to produce your product for free. After two years, the tools and equipment may be donated to you. DTI programs are from start to end because we will not just help you in starting your businesses but also in selling your products,” Romero emphasized.
There are already 296 established SSFs in the region.
DTI likewise has the Kapatid Mentor Micro-Entrepreneur (KMME) program which is a 10-module course to upscale the capacity of MSMEs.
It is a coaching and mentoring program undertaken in partnership with institutions specializing in functional areas of entrepreneurship and the help of experts from the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship/Go Negosyo.
“The KMME will capacitate us on how to build a business, and how to market our products. The good thing about this is that we are inviting chief executive officers or owners of big companies to serve as coaches of our KMME participants,” Romero explained.
Beneficiaries may also take the course virtually through the KMME Online. (CLJD-JLDC/PIA 3)
