VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur, Jan. 25 (PIA) – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the provincial government of Ilocos Sur on Tuesday to assist micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) in complying with food safety standards and regulations. 

FDA Director-General Dr. Samuel Zacate and Ilocos Sur Gov. Jeremias Singson signed the agreement during the launching of the “Bigyang-halaga, Bangon Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (BBMSME)” program in the province, which is a flagship initiative of the FDA in the Bagong Pilipinas movement. 

Under the program, local entrepreneurs are provided with technical assistance and capacity-building measures to equip and make them competitive without compromising the safety, quality, and efficacy of the products they produce.

Zacate said this will also streamline the registration process to make compliance with FDA regulations easier and more accessible for them.

“One of the problems we discovered is the educational aspect of it. They (MSMEs) want to register but they do not know how. The MOA is part of the platform but it can be modified based on the project that we will encounter. The FDA is always open to finding ways to assist our MSMEs. Our aim is to create more job opportunities, increase income, and grow businesses. This is what President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants to achieve through these collaborations,” Zacate said.

Singson expressed his gratitude to the FDA for helping to achieve the provincial government's vision of selling local products both nationwide and internationally.

“So through the regulatory measures, technical assistance, and capacity-building activities, this partnership with the FDA will empower our MSMEs making them more competitive on a national scale. Also by aligning ourselves with this vision of our President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., we are ensuring that the benefits of economic recovery will bridge the grassroots level uplifting the lives of our constituents,” Singson said.

The Ilocos Sur provincial government launched the “Kakibin ti MSME (Hand-in-hand with MSME)” program in 2023 to help local entrepreneurs who were affected by Super Typhoon ‘Egay’.

“Our MSMEs are the pillars of the economy so we provided each 3,304 MSMEs with cash assistance worth P5,000 to help them recover from the onslaught of ‘Egay’ in a separate ceremony in November and December 2023,” the governor said.

Singson also mentioned the opening of the OTOP (One-Town-One-Product) Hub and ONE Ilocos Sur Café on August 14, 2023, at the Provincial Farmers Livelihood Development Center in this city.

This collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry serves as a new market platform for Ilocano OTOPreneurs showcasing various local products such as the award-winning Robusta coffee, Inabel (woven fabric), and Vigan longganisa, among others.

“Through these efforts, we aim to create a province where every business thrives and prospers,” Singson ended. (JCR/AMB/JMCQ, PIA Ilocos Sur)