The Online KAPATID Mentor Me-Money Market Encounter (KMME-MME) Project was a success with 85 total mentee-graduates for 2020.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) together with the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE) continues its mentorship program through an online platform. The Kapatid Mentor ME (KMME) Online is developed as the practical delivery mechanism for the same mentorship modules to be used to propel micro and small entrepreneurs to survive and thrive in spite of the unprecedented setbacks that now confront businesses of all types and sizes.

Today’s KMME-MME Batch 2 Graduation recognized 45 completers going through 10 mentorship modules for nine weeks including the presentation of their individual Business Continuity Plan (BIP). There were 17 from Leyte, 14 from Samar, 10 from Eastern Samar, and four from Northern Samar.

One of the graduates, Mr. Noel Barquera, owner of Alto Peak Chocolates in Ormoc, is a craftsman of artisanal chocolates from pure cacao. According to Noel, “My key take away is to give yourself a chance no matter how big or small your business is. The 10 modules of KMME served as traffic signs for me to guide me where I should go on business.”

Despite the downfall of the economy and closure of several businesses, Mr. Noel continued to pursue learning new ways, penetrating the cloud market, and as he said, “the business of business is business.”

The success of this project pushed DTI and PCE to continue providing mentorship, entrepreneurship training, and online market platforms for its assisted entrepreneurs who are navigating the unknown business environment that the pandemic has caused.♦

Date of Release: 9 December 2020