by admin | Jul 10, 2018 | Business, Headlines
As part of the Philippine Trade Training Center’s yearly tradition of celebrating the MSME Development Week, the Center will once again offer free seminars to MSMEs on July 12-13, 2018 with the theme “Leveling Up MSMEs for Success and Growth.”
The first day focuses on merchandising on the web, “A Training on Digital Marketing” with resource persons from Google Singapore and Philippines. As a follow-through activity to this training, a Workshop Signing-up with Google My Business will allow entrepreneurs to own a website which will showcase their products and services. Participants attending this workshop are advised to bring their mobile devices.
For the afternoon session, a lecture series will be conducted by Lazada Philippines, one of the country’s top online selling platform, beginning with a refresher course on the basics of Ecommerce 101. Another session, “The Future of Shopping Using Facebook to Increase Sales” will touch on how social media accounts are used in marketing.
The second day of the seminar focuses on session series for food manufacturers and entrepreneurship development – “Enhancing Entrepreneurial Mindset”, “Establishing a Market Niche”, “Developing a Winning Product”, “Creating a Brand”, Food Product Development”, Food Engineering and Processing, to name a few. Kindly refer to the schedule of the seminars below.
For more information, you may contact telephone numbers 831-9988 or email train@pttc.gov.ph. You may also follow our facebook page, DTI.Philippine Trade Training Center. Registration is on the day of the seminar and on a first-come first-serve basis so make sure that you come early.
by admin | Jul 9, 2018 | Headlines
Empowering and enabling small businesses are a priority of the administration’s economic development agenda since President Rodrigo Roa Duterte assumed office in 2016.
In support of the President’s commitment to the development of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country, the MSME Development Council (MSMEDC), through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as MSMEDC Chair, is staging once again the National MSME Summit 2018 on 10 July 2018 at the ASEAN Convention Center located at the Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga.
“This Summit will be a venue for our MSMEs, the backbone of the Philippine economy, to become more innovative and competitive in their businesses. With the continued support from both government and private sectors, we are enabling MSMEs and generating inclusive growth,” DTI Secretary and MSME Development Council Chair Ramon M. Lopez said.
With the theme “Accelerating 7Ms for Competitive MSMEs,” the Summit will present various opportunities and initiatives in gearing up for MSME competitiveness under the 7Ms framework which was introduced and supported by the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) on 14 July 2017, in line with the country’s hosting of ASEAN.
The 2017 ASEAN Summit has issued the Manila Call to Action (MCA) for MSME Development, carrying a more MSME-centric perspective with its 7-point framework aligned to the following elements of an entrepreneur’s journey, known as the 7Ms – Mindset Change, Mastery, Mentoring, Money, Machine, Market Access, and Models of Business.
Through 7Ms, MSMEs shall be assisted to develop a positive Mindset, to gain Mastery of their business, to provide quality business Mentorship, to facilitate access to Money, to improve access to domestic and international Markets, to provide quality Machines, and to be exposed to innovative Models of business.
“The MSMED Council, with DTI as its Chair, is focused on cultivating a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit among Filipinos. We are enabling our MSMEs to be innovative in their products and services to be able to compete in the local and global markets,” Secretary Lopez added.
President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to grace the Summit as a show of his administration’s continuing support to MSMEs.
Prominent industry leaders, youth, women entrepreneurs, and trailblazers are attending and speaking during the summit, sharing their expertise and even networking with entrepreneurs.
The Summit intends to gather 800 participants that consist of entrepreneurs, academe, enablers, business experts and other stakeholders nationwide. The attendees will gain fresh insights and inspiration from resource persons who are experts in their respective fields.
by admin | Jul 7, 2018 | Headlines
TAGBILARAN CITY- Businessmen are now a step closer to achieving better performance in their businesses with the help of local stakeholders in government and private institutions.
Twenty-five (25) entrepreneurs from all over Bohol have been given backing and guidance from both sectors in ensuring the continuity and success of their businesses. Dubbed as “What Support Do We Need?”, the program kicks off with the participation of speakers coming from different national offices and financial institutions.Each of the speakers were given time to offer a helping hand to the entrepreneurs on what services they can give to them. The mentors include Ms. CelerinaGalorio of Department of Agriculture (DA), Ms. Rosemarie Bantol of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Ms. VinaAntopina, Provincial Director of Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Mr. Felicito P. Pono of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Business Counselor Roy Geolagon of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as well as representatives from Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) Ms. Ma. Eloisa L. Medilo and First Consolidated Bank of Bohol’s Branch Managers Ms. Maria FejileaAñora and Ms. Julieta Saloma.
The Session was part of the activities of the Kapatid Mentor Me Program, a weekly mentoring series organized by DTI Bohol Provincial Office in partnership with the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship that goes on for ten (10) sessions. Bankable entrepreneurs, called mentees, undergo coaching ranging from Marketing and Brand Imaging, Operations Management, Human Resource, to Taxation and Business Law. Seasoned experts from the aforementioned topics, mentor the said businessmen to equip them and create an advantage in their market. After the sessions, a break will be given for the businessmen to formulate their Business Improvement Plans (BIPs) which will be presented to a panel of experts before culminating in a graduation which will be held on July 27 as part of Sandugo Trade Expo.
Now on its second year, KMME has produced competent MSMEs such as Ms. Christine Virtucio of Virtucio Designs and Mr. Paolo Rigotti of Gelateria Milano.
A second run for 2018 will be held inTalibon on the third quarter. (photos by R. Geolagon and B. Besinga) –KACalumba
by admin | Jul 7, 2018 | Headlines, Tech Talk
The vision of Digital Bohol to have internet connectivity across the province is now closer to reality.
This week, Gov. Edgar Chatto received PLDT Visayas Head Rito Ray Salas and PLDT Area Head Isabelo Rosales at the People’s Mansoion. They updated the governor about ongoing PLDT Fiber To The Home, the most optimum connectivity solution.
Rosales said PLDT targets a minimum of 1 kilometer of fiber optic connection completed every day. This will allow fiber connectivity for the towns of Clarin, Tubigon, Calape, Loon, Maribojoc, Antequera, Balilihan, Sikatuna, Cortes, Jagna, Garcia Hernandez, Valencia, Dimiao, Lila, Loboc, Loay, and Albur at the end of this year.
PLDT also targets connectivity for the remaining towns of Bohol by 2019. Fiber To The Home is the optimum connectivity solution, stated Rosales.
Fiber to the home (FTTH), also called “fiber to the premises” (FTTP), is the installation and use of optical fiber from a central point directly to individual buildings such as residences, apartment buildings and businesses to provide unprecedented high-speed Internet access.
The governor welcomed this development as Bohol positions itself in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry.
He recalled launching Digital Bohol when PLDT also launched its submarine and inland fiber optic network spanning 328 kilometers – from Cebu through Bohol to Misamis Oriental with PLDT president and CEO Napoleon Nazareno.
Digital Bohol is aimed at making every Boholano part of digital technology revolution, and to make technology available.
Next to tourism and agriculture, programs have been geared towards creating a niche for the ICT industry.
A private sector-led initiative, Digital Bohol key component is the establishment of Technology for Education and Development (Tech4ED) centers in the province where residents can learn about internet, technology, among others.
Chatto believes if every citizen is educated on technology, even the rural communities can generate jobs, a faster way to inclusive growth. He emphasized the use of technology for marketing products, linking into the job market, among others.
Another initiative to strengthening the third pillar of economic growth is following tracks of tourism and agriculture senior high school specialization with BISU Balilihan as hub. It will take after models of Turo-Turismo of Lourdes National High School in Panglao and Eskwela Agrikultura in San Pascual National Agricultural High School.
The development also comes vis-à-vis current private sector investments in infrastructure for ICT. (Leah/EDCOM)
shows the PDLT Fiber Optic Launching last July 22, 2014 during the Bohol Day Commemorative Program
by admin | Jul 4, 2018 | Headlines
DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez and Assistant Secretary Ann Robeniol during
the 5th RCEP Intercessional Meeting in Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo – Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez urged his fellow ministers to be more realistic to conclude the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership or RCEP.
Sec. Lopez represented the Philippines (PH) during the 5th RCEP Intercessional Meeting in Tokyo on June 30 to July 2, 2018, where he joined Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock-Hoi, and trade ministers from the 16 RCEP Participating Countries (RPC), namely the ASEAN 10 and ASEAN free trade partners: Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand. The group targets to finish negotiations this year to finalize the agreement by next year.
“It is about time that we shift gears and lean towards being more realistic than idealistic. While we attend to our own interests, we should also remember that a mutually-beneficial agreement requires trade-offs,” said Sec. Lopez.
“We should also keep in mind that this mega-regional trade pact should be inclusive and progressive and should cater not only to today’s generation but also of the future,” he added.
The free trade agreement that began negotiations in 2013 covers trade in goods, trade in services, investment, economic and technical cooperation, intellectual property, competition, dispute settlement and other issues. On trade in goods, some countries’ submissions were still below the targeted 92% for tariff elimination. RPCs committed to submit improved offers by the middle of July.
Meanwhile, Sec. Lopez commended the progress on e-commerce for closing several articles in the RCEP Key Elements Paper. He said that e-commerce significantly lowers the barriers to entry and operating costs for businesses, particularly Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which comprise 99.6% of all registered businesses in PH.
The RPCs will meet again in Singapore this August to assess the outcome of the 23rd round of negotiations in Bangkok, Thailand.
Once concluded, RCEP will be one of the biggest free trade agreements with the 16 participating countries accounting for almost half of the world population, 31.6% of global output, 28.5% of global trade, and a fifth of the global foreign direct investment inflows as of 2016
Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (Front row, 7th from L) with Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez (Front row, 4th from L) and trade ministers from the 16 RCEP Participating Countries (RPC) during the 5th RCEP Intercessional Meeting in Tokyo, Japan.
by admin | Jun 30, 2018 | Headlines
TAGBILARAN CITY, BOHOL – More than twenty Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) viewed an online learning event last June 27, 2018 in an initiative to provide wider access to government information.
The event, entitled Empowering Philippines SMEs with Digital Tools and Mentorship Opportunities, was a whole day event held at the Philippine Trade and Training Center (PTTC) in Manila with the aim of enhancing the capabilities of MSMEs using digital systems and facilities that can be utilized according to their needs. Among the presenters of the event includes the United States Ambassador to the Philippines Amb. Sung Kim, President of Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Ms. Alegria S. Limjoco, and Secretary Ramon M. Lopez of DTI.
In an initiative of one of the organizers, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provided a live streaming platform for the MSMEs in all of its offices to join the said event without travelling physically to the venue. Two venues were designated by Bohol Province which includes the Provincial Office and Negosyo Center BOSS in order to deliver a wider access of viewership. Aside from the speeches from the keynote speakers, MSMEs were able to view and absorb the information discussed by mentors from panel discussions to workshops as well as clinic sessions.
Among the topics discussed were the digitalization and improving of Filipino MSMEs’ reach to global market, effective marketing content making and improving enterprises’ access to finance. This enabled the Boholano businessmen to learn the current challenges and opportunities the industry is facing in the digital age at the same time as the participants in the Capital. (Photos by B. Panong and C. Apale) -KACalumba
