11 August 2018
Published also in Business Mirror
MORE than 50 professionals, food-trade entrepreneurs and representatives of Filipino-American organizations in Los Angeles, California, attended a workshop for overseas Filipino investors (OFIs) officially launched by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
The workshop called “Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan” (TNK) for OFIs was cosponsored by the Philippine Trade and Investment Center-Los Angeles (PTIC-LA), in cooperation with the Philippine Consulate General and Philippine Department of Tourism in Los Angeles.
The workshop was attended by Consul General Adelio S. Cruz of the Philippine Consulate General, Los Angeles. The seminar served as an avenue for the announcement of the establishment of the TNK clinics as part of the Consulate’s regular program in collaboration with PTIC-LA. The TNK clinic is set to be a monthly workshop for OFIs of PTIC-LA.
Trade Commissioner Celynne Layug provided updates on the Philippines’s overall economic performance and the DTI’s 7Ms strategy for the development of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which include mind-set, mastery, mentoring, markets, money, machines and models of business.
Trade Assistant Rowena Namay talked about the available resources in Negosyo Centers located in various regions and provinces in the Philippines.
The seminar also featured a panel discussion on “OFIs as catalyst for growth.” Panel members included APR Consulting Inc. Founder and CEO Linda Stone; Sual Global International Inc., Owner Dr. Edgardo Arcinue; GMB Management Services Global Inc. President Armando Bartolome; and Asset Laboratories Finance/Administration Representative Eduardo Romualdo. As professionals in their respective fields, the panel members shared their insights and experiences on the various opportunities and learnings in starting a business in the Philippines with respect to services, testing, livestock/manufacturing and franchising.
TNK is a new government blueprint for decent job creation through employment and entrepreneurship. It was a joint effort of the DTI and the Department of Labor and Employment.