by admin | Aug 10, 2017 | National News, Negosyo Center Updates
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) welcomed the growing interest of the public in entrepreneurship as more Filipinos turn to Negosyo Centers for assistance for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and aspiring entrepreneurs.
DTI Regional Operations Group (DTI-ROG) Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya noted that since the inception of Negosyo Centers in 2014, the Department’s assistance to MSMEs spiked a total of 595,573 clients.
Maglaya attributed the “entrepreneurship fever” in the countryside to the agency’s continuing drive to introduce entrepreneurship as a steady source of income, partnerships with other national government agencies, and non-government organizations (NGOs), local government units, and MSMEs.
“This is a very welcome news for us that interest in entrepreneurship among Filipinos is growing. We highly encourage Filipinos, especially our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to engage in business so we can help our fellow Filipinos and the country’s economy,” Maglaya explained, adding that at least 3,041 OFWs were assisted by Negosyo Centers.
A total of 562 Negosyo Centers have been established since its inception in 2014, 297 of which were launched under the current administration.
Guided by Secretary Ramon Lopez’s 7Ms framework for a successful entrepreneur, the agency has provided assistance in the following areas: mindset, market access, mastery, machines, money, mentoring, and models.
“These programs for our MSMEs, being the backbone of the country’s economy, are surely beneficial. We would like to create more entrepreneurs and more jobs to help alleviate poverty in the country,” Maglaya said.
“At the start of 2017, we’ve targetted to open 200 more Negosyo Centers. But to be able to reach far-flung areas, we would open more so we expect to surpass the 200 centers target,” she added.
The Republic Act No. 10644 or the Go Negosyo Act aims to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), promote ease of doing business, facilitate access to grants and other forms of financial assistance, Shared Service Facilities (SSF) and other equipment, and other support for MSMEs through national government agencies (NGAs), ensure management guidance, assistance and improvement of the working conditions of MSMEs; and facilitate market access and linkaging services for entrepreneurs.
by admin | Jul 25, 2017 | Negosyo Center Updates
TAGBILARAN CITY, July 25, (PIA)–Next to Tacloban, Bohol hosts the country’s second launching of the agriculture sector entrepreneur mentoring program for region 7.
Through the Kapatid Agri Mentor Me Program (KAMMP), struggling Central Visayan farmer entrepreneurs can now be hand held and mentored by big brothers who have been nailing success in their fields of endeavor, explained Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE) and Go Negosyo team leader Jas Nito.
KAMMP is a network of mentors intending to help in the development of small farmers by capacitating them prepare for their business plans and allow them to set up marketing linkages, funding assistance and other technical help.
During the KAMMP program launching at the Bohol Tropics Resort in Tagbilaran, a total of 30 agricultural entrepreneurs form Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor sailed to Tagbilaran to the posh resort here where the first free business seminar and counseling of the mentoring program sessions happen, July 24.
15 of these hopeful agri-entrepreneurs would comprise batch 1 of the 3-day mentoring activities, while the next batch of 15 comprises batch 2, which would still be mentored in Bohol, accoridng to DA 7 sources.
Bohol Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) Regional Training Center Manager Dr. Carolyn May Daquio, Governor Edgar Chatto’s representative and Liza Quirog, PCE officials and Department of Agriculture Regional Officials unrolled the program tarpaulin to mark the beginning of the mentoring sessions.
These sessions would end after the agri-entrepreneurs now called mentees complete the modules designed to empower them to be successful in their agri business fields.
PCE and Go Negosyo’s Jas Nito said many farmers would be willing to upscale but they lack the confidence to do it.
The KAMMP would be a good start, he hinted as the mentoring program offers free inputs by respected industry leaders in entrepreneurial mind setting, marketing, business accounting, farming operations and value chain, financial obligations and business planning.
The KAMMP has set two September and October for the mentoring of the two batches and program organizers expect the mentees to pass their business plans by then to graduate in the program.
As this happened, the Department of Trade and industry in Bohol along with the PCE and Go Negosyo has also successfully completed the KMMP for micro, small, and medium enterprises mentoring modules in Bohol.
During the graduation rites set last July 21, DTI Butreau of Smell and medium Enterprise Development Director Jerry Clavesillas accepted the graduates in red carpet ceremony in time for the Sandugo regional product showcase held at the Island city mall in Bohol.
The DTI KMMP is the region’s third mentoring activity and the first in Bohol.
DTI regional Director Asteria Caberte however has ordered Bohol DTI to secure funds for the immediate conduct of another batch of mentoring activities in Bohol considering the number of MSMEs now identified.
Bohol has recently put up nine Go Negosyo Centers in Bohol: the DTI Office, Bohol Go Negosyo at the BIPC, Loon, Loboc, Talibon, Ubay, Carmen, Jagna and Tubigon.
These offices help MSMEs in their business plans and recommends these MSMEs for the free mentoring program to help them prepare for the ASEAN integration. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
Department of Agriculture, Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship and the Agricultural Training Institute opens to Boholanos and the Visayans in general a venue for thjem to be mentored to be successful agri entrepreneurs and the government brings in a free agri-entrepreneurship seminar here. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
by admin | Jun 22, 2017 | DTI Updates, Negosyo Center Updates, Photo Story
LOPEZ TO NEGOSYO MENTORS: DEVELOP SMARTER PINOY ENTREPRENEURS. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez recently (20 June) called on almost a thousand Negosyo Center business counsellors to help DTI and the government develop smarter Filipino entrepreneurs. Speaking at the first Negosyo Fair Business Counsellors’ Conference at SM Megamall, Sec. Lopez highlighted the role of business mentors as front liners of the Negosyo Centers, which he considers an important infrastructure of entrepreneurship. “When you inspire, you transform people and give them the positive entrepreneurial mindset,” he said. To date, there are over 500 Negosyo Centers all over the Philippines ready to provide efficient services to existing and aspiring entrepreneurs, including through provision of free business mentoring and coaching services, trainings and information on market and access to finance. DTI continues to empower Filipino entrepreneurs through these Negosyo Centers, thus infusing the right entrepreneurial mindset in a nation of entrepreneurs. The Negosyo Fair 2017 is open to public until June 24 at SM Megamall.
by admin | May 25, 2017 | ASEAN agenda, Business, DTI Updates, Headlines, National News, Negosyo Center Updates
Manila, Phl – 23 May 2017 – 16 Delegates from ASEAN China Center (ACC) arrived for a two-day briefing on trade and investment expected to bolster cooperation between the two countries.
Led by the Department of Trade and Industry, officials from the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB), Board of Investments (BOI), and Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) organized a Business Matching and Networking Dinner at the South Ballroom, Diamond Hotel to enable an environment where Philippine and Chinese companies can do business together.
As DTI Assistant Secretary for Trade and Investments Promotion Group Rosvi C. Gaetos stated in her welcome remarks, “As we host the ASEAN Summit on its 50th founding anniversary with the theme “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World”, we continue to reaffirm our readiness for deeper economic partnerships within the ASEAN region and with our extended neighbors such as China”.
In photo: DTI Trade and Investments Promotion Group Assistant Secretary Rosvi C. Gaetos welcomed the delegates from ASEAN China Center on 23 May at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.
by admin | May 20, 2017 | DTI Updates, Headlines, Negosyo Center Updates
TAGBILARAN CITY, May 18, (PIA)–The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) completes its two programs dealing with helping micro small and medium enterprises (MSMsE) hand holding them to sustain and link with other available help to sustain them and upscale into a better surviving industry.
This as the DTI brings to Bohol its second micro, small and medium enterprise retooling programs with 25 entrepreneurs availing of the Kapatid Mentor Me Program (KMMP).
Next to its Small Medium Enterprise Development Roving Academy (SMEDRA), which was launched in Bohol years back, the DTI brings this mentoring program that aims to get to the 95% of the economy which is the micro industries, according to DTI 7 Regional Director Asteria Caberte, during a press con after launching the program here at the Metrocenter Hotel, May 17.
The KMMP started as a joint under taking of the DTI Go Negosyo and aims to usher in an entrepreneurial mindset by linking the micro, small medium enterprises (MSMEs) to large enterprises in a symbiotic supply and demand relationship.
Top achieve this linkages, MSMEs should be provided with capacity buildings as well as access to technology, consultations by business elders and financing.
These include the conduct of trainings, seminars, one -n one mentoring sessions, business matching and other capacity building activities that ate all geared towards the successful integration of the MSMEs into the thriving industry clusters, DTI said.
This means the program can help MSMEs scale up their businesses through regular coaching and mentorship by business owners and practitioners on the various functional areas of entrepreneurships.
In Bohol, 25 MSMEs short listed by the 7 Negosyo Centers here enrolled in the province’s first batch of KMMP, an even bigger number of MSMEs taking the long queue just to get to the free program, said Marisol Balistoy, DTI Bohol caretaker.
The 95% micro economies often do not survive and they get lost because they do not always get the help they need and nobody helps them, SME Development Adviser Engr. Merly Cruz added.
in fact of the 95%, 99.2% are micro and small industries whose survival rate is hardly 50%, she pointed out.
These micro and small industries are the potential suppliers of the micro processes for large industries for their future processes, Cruz who used to be DTI assistant secretary said.
The country is so keen on helping these MSMEs because they create 2 or every 3 new jobs, and sustaining it even for its job generation strategy, could already mean significant improvements in the economy, Cruz hinted.
With the KMMP, they can hopefully expand their network, if they have financing problems, the KMMP brings the micro-financiers to them, mentors them on the access to markets, new technologies, business adviser or critic and supply matching.
At the Bohol launch, Caberte said they invited 300 MSMEs to join the 25 MSMEs in the first two KMMP sessions, of which over 350 business owners and operators came.
During the first two sessions, the DTI brought in topics on Entrepreneurial Mind Setting and Values Formation with mentor Rey Calooy founder and CEO of RNC Marketing, while local business icons Emgr Arnold Labunog of Jojie’s Bakeshop and Dr Ed Escalona owner of Our DeliBread came in to inspire the entrepreneurs.
Also in during the launching and initial sessions was Henry Tenedero who talked about Marketing. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
Marketing mentor Henry Tenedero and PCE Visayas dean Virgilio Espeleta dished out free business advice to over 350 Bohol MSM entrepreneurs gathered during the free sessions of the opening modules of the Kapatid mentor me program in Bohol. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
by admin | May 17, 2017 | DTI Updates, Headlines, Negosyo Center Updates
two-coconuts-and-coconut-oil-in-jar-without-lid
Coconut remains as country’s biggest export product with $487.3 million in sales in the fourth quarter of 2016
The Philippines top agricultural export products will be among the highlights of the International Food Exhibition (IFEX) Philippines to be held on May 19–21, 2017 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila and the Philippine Trade and Training Center, Pasay City.
In line with its efforts to promote the country’s food commodities to the international market, IFEX Philippines will have special highlights on coffee, cacao, coconut, and fruit and nut products as part of the Food Industry Cluster under the Food Artisans Village. Each pavilion site will showcase the Philippines’ high-demand export commodities in numerous varieties and cultivars.
“Through IFEX Philippines, we hope to close new deals and partnerships with our extensive list of international buyers, a majority of which are new comers to the event,” said CITEM Executive Director, Clayton Tugonon. “We are showcasing only the best in IFEX Philippines and buyers can expect to see the finest agricultural products the Philippines has to offer.”
Agro-based products contributed to 6.1% of the share of the Philippine’s export in the first half of 2016, amounting to a $291.5 million in sales. Coconut products lead the country’s agricultural exports with 34% share to total agricultural exports, closing off the last quarter of 2016 with a total of $487.3 million.
The Philippines is a major producer of tropical fruits, exporting more than 744,000 metric tons of homegrown products in the fourth quarter of 2016. Bananas ranked second in the total agricultural exports with a share of 12% and sales of $172.6 in 2016. Pineapples follow right after at 10.7% with $153.7 million in sales.
Tuna, fourth in the overall export shares with 5.5%, recorded an increase in exports by 39.2% during the fourth quarter of 2016 from $56.58 million in 2015 to $78.76 million. Other seafood products, such as seaweeds, carrageenan, shrimps, and prawns, produced $67.54 million during the same period.
Coffee exports rose by 24.7% from $91.50 million in the fourth quarter of 2015 to $114.14 million in 2016, while cacao closed off the year with $72.16 million, an increase by almost 30%.
“There is a constant increase in the exports of our commodities and with new partnerships, such as our outstanding one with Japan, this trend will only continue within the next years,” said Tugonon. “IFEX Philippines will be our one-stop trade platform in promoting our local products and building relationship with global buyers.”
The 11th edition of IFEX Philippines will feature four major exhibition halls that will present a spectrum of flavors from across the globe.
Top and emerging Philippine exporters and business support organizations (BSOs) in the food industry will be stationed at the “Food Philippines Hall”, while the “International Hall” presents top food products and ingredients from top international companies and manufacturers.
The distinct flavors of the country’s provinces take center stage in the “Food Artisans Village”, presented by the Department of Agriculture, through the Agribusiness Marketing and Assistance Service (DA-AMAS). The Food Artisans Village includes the Commodity, Seafood, Mindanao, and Negros Occidental Pavilions.
The “MarketPlace” is a free-for-all where buyers and visitors can purchase on retail throughout the event.
IFEX will also present highly curated exhibit of product prototypes developed through the locally fabricated food machinery operated by Food Innovation Centers (FICs), under the Department of Science and Technology- Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) at the “Food Innovation Gallery”.
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IFEX Philippines, Asia’s ethnic food & ingredients show, is the country’s biggest international trade exhibition on the Philippines’ and Asia’s specialty food, with around 700 exhibitor companies, attracting wholesale buyers, importers and food distributors from all over the world.
IFEX Philippines is a fast-rising Asian marketplace where sellers of unique tropical flavors, products, innovations, and services are linked with international buyers, importers, and retailers, propelling for bigger international presence, wider variety of products, and world-class features. Categories include tropical fruits, vegetables, seafood, beverages, bakery and confectionery products, meat and poultry, Halal-certified products, as well as natural, organic, and healthy food products. It is organized in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, through its Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (DA-AMAS), and the ASEAN Committee on Business and Investment Promotion (CBIP), which is chaired by DTI.
