DAGUPAN CITY (PIA) – Over 30 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Pangasinan will be upgrading and expanding their business operations after participating in the training program dubbed Small Enterprise Acceleration Lab – Business Expansion through Training and Application (SEAL-BETA) from November 7-10 at the Lenox Hotel here.
The SEAL-BETA, which aims to provide MSMEs with access to knowledge, loan assistance, and additional avenues to market products through the Trade Fair Simulation, is a collaborative effort between the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 1, through the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC), and Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) with its subsidiary bank, BPI Direct BanKo.
“Ang sabi ni DTI-Region 1 Regional Director Grace Baluyan, a lot of enterprises in the region are MSMEs. I am very happy kasi itong program ay for the MSMEs kasi we want to help and see you grow sa inyong business,” said Nelly Nita Dillera, executive director of PTTC, emphasizing that SEAL-BETA is a complete package short business course as it covers training to application and both access to market and finance.
Participating micro-entrepreneurs set up booths and showcased their food and non-food local products.
They also pitched their business or product and consulted their ideas to the resource persons during the mentorship and pitching session.
Meanwhile, Dillera said that 48 percent of businesses in the Philippines are unable to access loans due to a lack of information or understanding of how to obtain and complete the necessary documents, noting that access to finance is often not available for MSMEs which is why PTTC partners with the BPI Direct BanKo in accessing additional capital or finance, especially for business start-ups.
BPI Foundation Program Manager Noel Tiu and BPI Direct BanKo Assistant Audit Officer Lyn Diane Abaigar ensured micro-enterprises that BPI BanKo is committed to providing them with an easy, affordable, and convenient loan to fund and help them grow their business operations.
“Sa mga nagbabalak na mag-negosyo, huwag matakot kasi nandito ang BPI Direct BanKo para tumulong at umalalay sa inyo na maging successful ang inyong business. Kailangan ng extra financial assistance kapag nagsisimula pa lang na mag-negosyo kaya hindi po bawal [o pangit] ang mag-loan,” Abaigar said.
Teodore Gamo, product owner of Great Farm 100 Liquid Fertilizer, expressed his gratitude for the training opportunity.
“The PTTC brought us the best trainers and very practical methods in which you will easily digest the contents of every topic. Their personal experiences moved the participants to learn. It inspired me to shine in the MSME industry through my product,” he stated. (JCR/AMB/MJTAB/JCDR/PIA Pangasinan)
