Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-7) regional director Maria Elena C. Arbon speaking during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas in Cebu. (PIA7)
CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) — The level of entrepreneurship in Central Visayas is “high and strong.”
This is how Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 7 regional director Maria Elena C. Arbon described the entrepreneurial mindset in the region during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas program on March 11.
“The strength of Cebu, in particular, as I see it – and also in a way by extension to Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor- is our level of entrepreneurship… I’ve been observing other places and that is to me, the ‘secret sauce’ of Region 7,” Arbon said.
Arbon said that DTI7 is dedicating 70 percent of their efforts to assisting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in their business development.
In 2024, DTI-7 assisted 77,020 clients that included potential entrepreneurs.
In the same year, the department also supported 50,752 MSMEs through advocacy programs, access to market, business registration assistance, and training and seminars.
Arbon said that although DTI is commonly known for consumer protection, the department is also responsible for business development and investment promotion in the country.
“DTI actually wears two hats. The one hat that everybody knows about is DTI and consumer welfare, consumer protection… but on the other hand, the bulk of what DTI does is really business development and also investment promotion,” she said.
In Central Visayas, 99 percent of the businesses are MSMEs, which is the same at the national level.
Mentoring programs
To further support MSMEs, DTI-7 has implemented mentoring programs that will help scale up enterprises, such as the Kapatid Mentor Me (KMME) which produced 96 graduates in 2024, StartupIsland PH, and the Digital seRvices Entrepreneurs Advancement Mentorship (DREAM) program.
DTI7 initiated the StartupIsland PH program in 2018 to cater to the “tech-enabled startups.”
“We, in region 7, have also initiated our own mentoring program to cover the tech-enabled startups. So we have started the Startup Island mentoring program,” Arbon explained.
On the other hand, the DREAM program aims to nurture the creative industry in the region, such as the artists and graphic designers.
DTI-7 also established Negosyo Centers in 90 local government units (LGUs) in the region, or 68 percent of the total LGUs here.
“These Negosyo Centers are manned by our Negosyo Center counselors; and this is our outreach on the ground. Our Negosyo Center counselors are the ones who pushed the programs to the municipalities,” Arbon said.
The department has also established and maintained 12 Fabrication Laboratories (FabLabs) in the region and 9 One Town One Product (OTOP) stores.
FabLab uses technology to create physical prototypes of designs and ideas by using tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC machines.
The FabLabs in the region have produced a total of 3,021 prototypes that helped improve the competitiveness of MSMEs. (JJT/PIA7)
