DTI assures continuing aid to MSMEs in GIDA/ELCAC barangays
By Carlito C. Dar
BAGUIO CITY, Feb. 8 (PIA) – – The Department of Trade and Industry assures continuing assistance to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in geographically isolated and depressed areas(GIDAs), local communist armed conflict – affected barangays(ELCAC) especially those affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
DTI – CAR Regional Director Myrna Pablo, in a Kapihan media forum reported that DTI’s Livelihood Seeding Program – Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay (LSP-NSB) program allows a wider reach of business development assistance by bringing government services closer to the people especially in remote communities while increasing awareness about the services being offered by DTI through the Negosyo Centers.
Under the LSP – NSB, DTI in partnership with the local government units and barangay development councils, can provide basic business advisory or information dissemination services to MSMEs through the Negosyo Centers and trained local focal persons.
The program also provides business development assistance and services and provision of livelihood kit packages amounting to P5,000 – P8,000 to qualified beneficiaries that may include sole proprietors, cooperatives or sectoral associations and vulnerable sector of communities such as indigenous people and persons with disability that are located in identified GIDA barangays and those in armed conflict – affected areas.
To date, LSP – NSB has already covered 308 barangays in the region with 1,268 MSMEs assisted with 772 livelihood kits amounting to P11.6 million.
Pablo also shared that DTI also prioritizes the provision of assistance to MSMEs affected by the COVID-19 through its attached agency, the Small Business Corporation (SBC), with its CARES (COVID-19 Assistance to Restart Entrepreneurs) progrsm, a loan assistance being funded under the Bayanihan We Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2).
The SBC already funded around P78.5 million worth of loans of more than 1,200 MSMEs in the region, Pablo said.
DTI – CAR will also continue to help capacitate the region’s MSMEs through programs and services and we are also currently focusing on youth or young entrepreneurs, as they are the next generation of businessmen and women, Pablo added. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)
