ILOILO CITY (PIA) — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Western Visayas conducted a virtual Government Services Forum recently as part of the agency’s Kapatid Mentor ME – Money Market Encounter (KMME-MME) program.
In collaboration with Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE) Go Negosyo, the DTI initiative aims to equip micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with invaluable insights into various government programs and services crucial for fostering business growth, according to the agency’s press release.
The KMME program, first implemented in 2016, is a 10-module mentorship program that facilitates weekly face-to-face interactions between mentors and mentees, enhancing the entrepreneurial capacity of the latter by improving their access to mentorship, money, and market opportunities.
Aside from a 10-module mentorship, the program also includes coaching sessions to help mentees draft their Business Improvement Plans (BIPs) and improve their materials and presentation skills.
Upon completion of the ten modules for this batch, the mentees received this learning session aimed at further enriching their understanding of government services.
The forum showcased the participation of key government agencies including the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Small Business Corporation (SBCorp), Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Intellectual Property Office (IPO), Landbank of the Philippines (LBP), Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
DTI 6 OIC-Regional Director Rachel N. Nufable expressed gratitude to the partner agencies for their support in assisting the region’s MSMEs.
Based on the DTI 6 report, a total of 49 mentees participated in the first batch of the program from various provinces within the region.
These mentees for first batch included six were from Iloilo, five participants each from the provinces of Aklan, Antique, and Negros Occidental, and three from Guimaras.
A significant participation of 25 mentees from Capiz, the host province for this batch, was noted by the agency.
With this, Nufable commended the mentees for their dedication to complete all the module sessions and encouraged them to capitalize on the vast network of government enablers for sustained growth.
Also, the mentees concluded their BIP presentations and coaching sessions.
Marking an important milestone in the journey of these aspiring entrepreneurs, the batch completed the program and had their virtual graduation ceremony on June 3.
Meanwhile, another batch with 48 mentees is scheduled to join the program in July which will run until September. (AAL/ED/PIA6)
