The Department of Trade and Industry-CAR with its six provincial offices in the Cordillera offered a 5-day online training and webinar in tie-up with the Philippine Trade and Training Center (PTTC) as part of the National MSME Week 2020.
The online training participated in by various micro, small to medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs) adopted the new normal way of conducting e-fora and webinars to explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to businesses. With the theme “MSMEs’ Recovery to Resilience,” the 5-day e-fora tackled policy measures in place to support their viability and enhance their resiliency and sustainability. Highlighting on public and private sector response to the pandemic and in order to minimize its negative impacts, the training discussed business support, operations continuity, protection of workers’ rights and innovative market-based approaches and solutions to help MSMEs recover and promote their participation in economic activities.
Following the new normal way of orchestrating a big activity, provincial offices of DTI-CAR in Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province served as the venue for participating MSMEs who also participated in the online e-fora where they were able to interact with the speakers online.
The regional office of DTI-CAR and DTI Baguio-Benguet served as regional host for the blended modality forum for stakeholders and MSMEs held at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the Baguio City Hall.
The forum was part of the Cordillera Month series of investment forums in collaboration with the regional offices of the Department of Agriculture, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Tourism, Department of Labor and Employment, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority with resource persons from popular service providers such as Lazada Philippines, Food Panda, Paymaya and the other government agencies including the RTWPB and the Regional Development Council.
With DTI Philippines and Go Negosyo providing industry leaders as speakers, the online platform conducted via Zoom and streamed via Facebook Live offered various topics such as “Building an Enabling Business Environment for Resilient and Sustainable Enterprises”, “Inclusive Financial Innovation for Recovery and Sustaining Enterprises”, “Developing Resilient Entrepreneurs as Drivers of Innovation”, “Leveraging on Technological Innovation for Disaster-proof and Sustainable Enterprises” and “Riding the Wave of Digital Transformation for Sustainable Enterprises”.
With DTI’s Livelihood Seeding Program – Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay (NSB), DTI Ifugao distributed livelihood kits to 56 beneficiaries from the municipalities of Banaue, Kiangan, Lagawe, Lamut, Hingyon, and Hungduan in Ifugao. In Mountain Province, DTI provincial office had an event at Fidelisan, Sagada with 24 participants composed of farmers, sari-sari store owners, food processors and barangay officials to discuss the different government livelihood programs and services highlighting the importance of legalizing businesses in order to avail of various trainings offered by DTI and other partner agencies.
DTI’s program on Kapatid Mentor Micro Enterprise 2020 (KMME) also adapts to the new normal online platform with KMME mentees meeting their mentors through virtual mentoring. DTI Mountain Province reports that despite some difficulties, they were able to join the KMME Orientation and out of 84 regional mentees, they had 12 mentees representing the wearables and home-styles sector, weaving, souvenir, pottery, food processing, tourism, trading and financial services. The KMME mentorship program offered 10-module online mentorship wherein mentees are enabled and equipped with knowledge with essential business modules. **Art Tibaldo
