BAGUIO CITY, July 23(PIA) — The Department of Trade and Industry in the Cordillera initiated a blended modality forum for stakeholders from the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the region on Wednesday (July 22).
The forum held in different venues in Abra, Apayao, Ifugao, Benguet, Baguio City, Kalinga and Mountain Province were hosted by the DTI-CAR and its provincial offices thru the support of the respective local government units, as a way of helping MSMEs in the region.
Micro, small and medium enterprises also attended the Investment Opportunities Forum on E-Commerce Platforms, Logistics and FinTech for CAR MSMEs initiated by the DTI-CAR in Baguio City on the same day, There were resource persons at the venues while others had virtual and taped messages and lectures which were streamed live over the social media pages of DTI-CAR provincial offices.
Participants were physically present in all the provincial venues complying with health and safety protocols. The participants and stakeholders were able to interact and clarify some of their queries thru the online open forum with resource persons stationed in Metro Manila and Baguio City.
Among the resource persons were from popular service providers such as Lazada Philippines, Food Panda, Paymaya and the other government agencies including the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board and the Regional Development Council.
The DTI said the forum was part of the Cordillera Month series of investment forums collaborated with the regional offices of the Department of Agriculture, Dept. of Science and Technology, Dept. of Tourism, Dept. of Labor and Employment and the Technical Education and Skills Development Agency.
DTI Sec. Ramon Lopez lauded the Cordillerans for adopting the technological services which compliment the traditional way of doing business with E-commerce in his messages during the forums.
Part of the National MSMEs Week from July 20 to 24, 2020 was the conduct by the DTI national office of E-forums to explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on MSMEs including policy measures to support their viability and enhance their resiliency and sustainability.
With the theme “MSMEs’ Recovery to Resilience,” the 5-day e-forums highlighted both the public and private sector responses to the crisis in order to minimize the negative impacts, support business operations’ continuity, and protect workers’ rights, focused on innovative market-based approaches and solutions to help MSMEs recover and promote their participation in economic activities.
In his message delivered virtually, DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez congratulated the Cordillera Administrative Region for its 33rd Founding Anniversary and committed DTI to help achieve the socioeconomic development goals of the region which is very important as the nation moves to create a better normal in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lopez also lauded the Cordillerans for adopting the technological services which complement the traditional way of doing business with E-commerce.
“The Cordillerans’ adoption of digitalization ensures products can be brought on line and delivered directly to the buyers thus it is appropriate that the theme of the Cordillera Month is “One Resilient Cordillera Embracing the New Normal Towards Recovery,” said Lopez.
“I am confident that CAR will be in the core with the entire country in adopting new ways of doing things especially in doing business. I call on everyone to work towards a better normal for a more inclusive and safer future. Let us heal as one and progress as one,” he added.
The second part of the Investments Opportunities Forum focused on business resiliency will be held on July 29, 2020.** JDP/RMC- PIA CAR
