The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in partnership with the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE) Go Negsoyo continues its efforts to help and mentor more entrepreneurs toward success amid the pandemic. A total of 55 mentees from Region 1 have successfully finished the Kapatid Mentor Micro Entrepreneurs-Money Market Encounter (KMME-MME) Online program of DTI.

After the 12 weeks of online mentorship sessions, the mentees presented their Business Improvement Plans (BIP) to expert panelists coming from the government, digital market, and financing institutions. This was followed by the culmination activity and virtual graduation ceremony graced by DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez, PCE-Go Negosyo Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Ma. A. Concepcion III, and Regional Director Grace Falgui-Baluyan.

The KMME Online was developed as the practical delivery mechanism for the mentorship modules to propel micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to survive and thrive in spite of the unprecedented setbacks brought about by the pandemic.

Started in 2016, the KMME Program is part of the Negosyo-Kapatid Project that aims to help MSMEs scale up and become globally competitive enterprises through coaching and mentoring sessions. This capacity-building program brings together experts and industry leaders to provide free mentoring sessions to be conducted by PCE-accredited mentors.

Mentees who have undergone the program lauded its “big brother-small brother” concept. Through the program, they have established linkages among their “kapatids” and gained a better and effective market positioning strategy.

DTI-Region 1 has already conducted 22 runs of KMME Programs producing a total of 583 mentee graduates.♦

Date of Release: 11 June 2021