BONTOC, Mountain Province (PIA) — The Department of Trade and Industry – Mountain Province anticipates the growth of the business ventures of 14 young entrepreneurs who recently graduated from the Kapatid Mentor Micro Entrepreneur-Money Market Encounter (KMME-MME) program.
DTI Provincial Director Mabel F. Banggawan highlighted the program’s significance in enhancing business skills such as identifying target markets, developing effective strategies, and creating strong value propositions.
“In today’s fast-paced business environment, understanding marketing is crucial. You have learned how to identify target markets, develop effective strategies to reach them, and create compelling value proposition,” she said.
Banggawan emphasized that the organizational skills learned are crucial for effective leadership, teamwork, and collaboration.
“These skills are vital for enhancing productivity and achieving operational excellence within any business setting,” she said, and the DTI looks forward to seeing the realization of each mentee’s Business Improvement Plan.
Bontoc Mayor Jerome Tudlong Jr., the guest of honor and speaker during the ceremony on Sept. 10, congratulated the graduates, praising their vision and hard work in turning their business dreams into reality. He encouraged them to continue innovating and refining their products, hoping their businesses would not only succeed but also contribute to job creation and economic growth in the community.
“Our collective hope is that your business not only thrives but also contributes to job creation and economic growth in our community. With each stride taken in your entrepreneurial journey, carry with you the resilience, determination, and growth instilled in you by the KMME Program.” Tudlong said.
The KMME is a 10-module mentorship program that optimizes interactions between the mentors and the mentees with the key goal of boosting the entrepreneurial capacity through improved access to mentorship, money and market.
Celso Dasing, a 2023 KMME-MME graduate and owner of Insong Food Products, inspired the mentees sharing how the program improved his business. This has provided him with valuable opportunities and guidance, helping him develop a roadmap to make his business profitable and sustainable.
“As an entrepreneur, you need to have short term goals as to motivate you to continue in achieving your long- term goals,” he said.
Meanwhile, during the KMME-MME Online Cordillera Batch 1 graduation, four Mountain Province mentees received awards.
Kenneth Andaya of Happy TeaPot Cafe received the prestigious Best in Business Improvement Plan award among mentees of Abra, Baguio City, Benguet and Mountain Province. He also bagged the Positive Vibes Award.
The special awardees are Jonalyn Fesetan of JCF Food Products who received the Shining Star Award, Yakie Aben of Sagada Travel and Tours for the Pitch Perfect Award, and Karen Marie Lapon of SDL Consumer Goods Trading received the Most Active Award.
Mountain Province was also recognized with the Best Group Presentation award, standing out among the other provinces in the batch. (JDP/VJLT-PIA with reports from DTI)
