The year 2015 was remarkable for the Department of Trade and Industry-Regional Operations Group (DTI-ROG) even as it vowed to step up its efforts in 2016 for the betterment of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country.
“We are proud to inform the public that the ROG in 2015 has worked with tireless enthusiasm with various partner agencies to support the growth of MSMEs in the country, with the establishment of the ever-increasing number of launched Negosyo Centers, established Shared Service Facilities and implemented Bottom-up Budgeting projects,” ROG supervising Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya said.
Maglaya stressed that these initiatives of focusing on MSMEs will eventually result to more entrepreneurs, employment and inclusive growth, adding that the Regional Operations Group would continue foster partnership between MSMEs, development partners, and the government.
Among the many milestones of the Regional Operations Group are the establishment of more than a hundred Negosyo Centers, Shared Service Facilities (SSF), Diskwento Caravans, SME Roving Academies (SMERA), Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs), the assistance to typhoon Yolanda victims through the Livelihood Seeding Program, National Industry Clustering, Bottom-up Budgeting (BuB), Coconut Industry Development Program, National Industry Cluster Capacity Enhancement Project (NICCEP), Promotion of Green Economic Development (ProGED) in cooperation with the German government, among others.
One directive that ROG has focused on is the establishment of Negosyo Centers, of which has a total number of 144 as of December 2015. This total has exceeded the Department’s target of 100 Negosyo Centers for 2015.
“As of 31 December 2015, a total of 144 Negosyo Centers have been launched. The Centers are geared towards promoting the ease of doing business facilitating access to services for [MSMEs], including business registration assistance, business advisory services, business information and advocacy as well as access to market linkages,” Maglaya said.
Meanwhile, to reach the grassroots level, more SSFs have been established with a total of 1,434 SSFs, which already generated 46,573 of employment since its launch in 2013.
On the Industry clustering strategy, Maglaya said that as a result of various initiatives and interventions in promoting and fostering for industry development nationwide, the six (6) national priority industry clusters which are predominantly agri-based industries have contributed significant outcome in terms of bottomline indicators. The six priority industry clusters are rubber, coco coir, coffee, cacao, processed fruits & nuts, and tourism support industries.
She noted that as of third quarter 2015, a total of P1.717B in investments and P2.621B in domestic sales were generated from the six national priority industry clusters. These surpassed the annual targets by 135% and 144%, respectively.
“In 2016, the industry clustering strategy will be continued to be mainstreamed by DTI with new additional identified priority sectors to bring the development to the countryside,” she said.
Also in January 2015, ROG started Negosyo ATBP., a business education radio program aired every Wednesday, which aims to raise the public’s awareness on micro small and medium enterprises, business success stories and government programs and services to assist MSMEs and is currently on its fourth season.
Negosyo ATBP. featured guests from various sectors, government agencies, officers from the local and national government, including Senator Bam Aquino and former Secretary Gregory Domingo, and most especially MSMEs, who shared their stories of struggles on their path to success.
Maglaya vowed to surpass ROG’s 2015 accomplishments by continuing its initiatives of uplifting the MSMEs and by continuing to raise the bar of service to the Filipino public.
“The ROG will continue to support MSMEs in facing challenges concerning business environment, productivity and efficiency, and access to finance and market as we continually strive to improve our brand of service to the public,” she said.
For information on the services of the DTI, log-on to http://www.dti.gov.ph
