03 January 2018

also posted in BusinessMirror

AS part of the Trabaho, Negosyo agenda of the Duterte administration, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) set its sight on putting on center stage micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and job generation.

This has become prevalent with the DTI reporting the growing interest and enthusiasm of Filipinos in venturing into business as more and more entrepreneurs turn to Negosyo Centers for assistance for MSMEs and aspiring entrepreneurs.

In the 2017 Negosyo Center year-end performance monitoring report, a total of 614,417 entrepreneurs were assisted by these centers—leapfrogging from the June 2017 performance report of 595,573 clients assisted since the inception of Negosyo Centers in 2014.

DTI Regional Operations Group Undersecretary Zenaida C. Maglaya underscored the huge surge of entrepreneurs assisted due to the government’s support for MSMEs and the advancing of MSMEs as economic movers of the country.

“2017 has been the year for Filipino MSMEs as the country hosted the Asean [Association of Southeast Asian Nations]. With Asean, MSMEs were given the much-needed attention in order to advance the country’s economic agenda,” Maglaya said.

With more MSMEs turning to Negosyo Center for assistance, Maglaya attributed the entrepreneurship surge to the agency’s continuing drive to introduce entrepreneurship as a steady source of income, while also recognizing the agency’s partnerships with other national government agencies, and non-governmental organizations, local government units and big corporations.

“We’re very grateful to Filipinos that they realize the huge help they get from entrepreneurship and how business contributes to society by providing employment and lifting the economy,” Maglaya added.

Philippine MSMEs account for 99.5 percent of the total number of established businesses and employ 62.8 percent of the country’s workforce, contributing substantially to the country’s manufacturing output and total employment, making it critical engines of economic growth and development.

To encourage aspiring entrepreneurs, Negosyo Centers have also conducted 11,043 skills, managerial and entrepreneurship training programs, the report showed.

Maglaya said Negosyo Centers are very effective in reaching out to Filipinos in the countryside, with the DTI tallying a total of 718 centers throughout the country. Under the current administration, a total of 343 Negosyo Centers were established, she added.

Republic Act 10644,  or the Go Negosyo Act,  aims to help MSMEs promote ease of doing business, facilitate access to grants and other forms of financial assistance, Shared Service Facilities and other equipment, and other support for MSMEs through national government agencies, ensure management guidance, assistance and improvement of the working conditions of MSMEs; and facilitate market access and linkaging services for entrepreneurs.