Department of Trade and Industry Regional Director Leonila Baluyut. (Marie Joy S. Carbungco/PIA 3)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) assured that it will continually enable businesses and empower consumers to achieve a better economy for Central Luzon.
DTI Regional Director Leonila Baluyut highlighted the various pandemic-initiatives aimed to strike a balance between enabling business and empowering consumers, while at the same time ensuring the safety of everyone.
“You know very well that there is this balancing act that DTI is doing because while we develop business, we also regulate for the sake of our consumers,” she said.
Baluyut disclosed that one of their priority programs this year is to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) reach a wider market through the conduct of trade fairs, both online and physical.
“This year, we have 19 runs of Diskwento Caravan across the region as of October 15, which benefitted a total of 18,133 consumers and generated a total sales of P7.664 million. If we compare this to last year with 29 runs and P7.3 million total sales, we can see that we have more sales this year. This is a good indication that people are really buying and they have the capacity to buy,” she said.
DTI also continues to provide assistance to MSMEs through the Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay Livelihood Seeding Program which already covered 263 barangays and 2,330 beneficiaries through the provision of 2,192 livelihood kits amounting to P7.736 million.
In addition, the agency was able to assist 2,817 clients in the region through its Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa program by providing 2,669 livelihood kits and 23 trainings.
“As we empower individual MSMEs, we also provide cooperatives with the necessary equipment and technology they need through our Shared Service Facilities (SSFs). As of September 30, we were able to establish 26 SSFs. Consequently, we have assisted 125 MSMEs and generated 240 employment under the program,” the official said.
Baluyut added that under the One Town, One Product (OTOP) Next Gen, one OTOP hub was established with 1,548 MSME OTOPreneurs assisted; 776 products developed; and P170.936 million sales generated.
In terms of financing, DTI’s Small Business Corporation granted a total of P617 million loans for 4,389 applicants under its Covid-19 Assistance to Restart Enterprises Program to help MSMEs cope with the pandemic.
DTI would still pursue the establishment of Negosyo Centers (NCs) in the different cities and municipalities within the region.
To date, DTI has established 131 NCs which are lodged in different local government units, malls, and chambers within the region.
Aside from this, DTI also monitored a total of 3,431 establishments to ensure the implementation of fair trade laws and conducted consumer care seminars to 1,934 participants.
“We also conduct Safety Seal certification to ensure compliance of establishments to health and safety protocols. As of October 15, we received 590 applications regionwide, with 400 already approved,” Baluyut said.
DTI has also repurposed its two fabrication laboratories during the pandemic to help produce 2,302 face shields, 20 face masks and one aerosol box, which were distributed to six frontline institutions. (CLJD/MJSC-PIA 3)
