BAGUIO CITY – Councilor Leandro Yangot, Jr. stressed the crucial role of entrepreneurs in the nation’s development especially in jobs creation during the launching of the Mentor-ME (Micro Entrepreneurs) Program for Baguio last Wednesday at the BENECO hall here spearheaded by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)- Benguet office.
Yangot, chair of the city council’s committee on trade and industry, cited the DTI report that around 99 percent of the country’s business establishments belong to the micro, small and medium sized categories providing much-needed employment for Filipinos.
He said that the “entrepreneurial spirit” should be promoted and that mentoring is one way of helping those who want to become entrepreneurs or who would like to find ways on how to improve their enterprises and expand their business knowledge.
DTI provincial director Freda Gawisan said the activity is a component of Project Kapatid, an undertaking jointly implemented by the DTI and the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE)/Go Negosyo.
She added that Project Kapatid aims to strengthen the mentorship program for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and linking them to the value chain of medium and large corporations through inclusive business models.
“The Mentor-ME Program aims to assist MSMEs scale up and sustain their businesses thru weekly coaching and mentoring sessions by business owners and practitioners on different functional areas of entrepreneurship,” Gawisan said.
She stressed the end goal of the activity is to produce “confident entrepreneurs with the right mindset and business know-how that will be able to sustain and scale up their enterprise.”
DTI-Regional Operations Group Assistant Secretary Blesila Lantayona was the event’s guest of honor and speaker while Secretary to the Mayor Raffy Tallocoy welcomed the participants on behalf of Mayor Mauricio Domogan. DTI regional director Myrna Pablo gave an overview of the activity and Gawisan discussed the Negosyo Act (RA 10644).
PCE/Kapatid mentors Henry Tenedero and Ardy Roberto lectured on marketing and entrepreneurial mindsetting and values formation, respectively. Roberto’s wife, former Miss Universe runner-up Miriam Quiambao, also shared her experiences as an entrepreneur during the activity.
Selected local entrepreneurs and former mentees also shared their business experiences and shared business tips. They then joined Tenedero and Roberto in conducting free consultations with the participants. /Gaby Keith#
