The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Mimaropa relieve micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and calamities in 2020 to get back on their feet, distributing a total of 1,624 livelihood kits under the Livelihood Seeding Program – Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay (LSP-NSB) and the Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa (PPG) programs.
LSP-NSB is a program of DTI that allows a wider reach of business development assistance by bringing government services closer to the people and fosters a more inclusive MSME environment by capacitating small entrepreneurs to scale up their operations. This happens through the provision of individual package of livelihood kits that contain items that could aid qualified affected individuals restore and improve their businesses in case of catastrophic events like natural and human-induced calamities including health disasters like epidemics and pandemics
Around a total of 263 barangays from Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, and Romblon were covered from the initial target of only 86 barangays. Moreover, 1,090 MSMEs benefited from the 990 granted livelihood kits, and over 9,000 individuals were provided with information on various livelihood opportunities. From this, 411 Negosyo Cliniquing activities and 81 entrepreneurship seminar activities focused on skills training, consumer education, digital marketing, business consultancy, livelihood recovery were conducted.
Some of the types of kits provided were in the form of a food cart, carving kit, engraving kit, baking tools and kitchen utensils, ingredients and tools for root crops processing, etc. Aside from the provision of livelihood and training kits, LSP-NSB also facilitates business registration, business advisory, and business information and advocacy services consistent with its 360-degree approach.
Meanwhile, under the PPG program, DTI aims to provide assistance package for victims of fire, typhoons, and other calamities nationwide. The program launched in January of 2020, when President Rodrigo R. Duterte visited the evacuees in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, after the Taal Volcano eruption.
DTI-Mimaropa, through its provincial offices, awarded 634 livelihood kits to 126 barangays. In addition to this, 700 clients were assisted and 26 trainings were conducted to complement such. The majority of the kits provided through PPG were in the form of agricultural kits, which reflects the thriving agripreneurship environment in the region. The qualified beneficiaries were mostly victims of fire, COVID-19, and other man-made calamities.
Prior to this, the DTI Provincial Offices conducted a pre-assessment interview and profiling of the affected communities. The identified beneficiaries underwent program orientation and entrepreneurial briefing conducted by DTI. To ensure the safety of the participants and organizers of the activities amid the pandemic, DTI and the participating LGUs made sure to enforce strict health protocols.
DTI-Mimaropa Regional Director Joel B. Valera believes that these programs empower individuals, especially small business owners, and improve livelihoods. “Since we are composed of island-provinces, our region requires a different approach. The kits we provide through these programs reflect the community’s real needs. Likewise, capacitating our beneficiaries is part of the grassroots development to ensure sustainable and lasting impact.”
Those who are interested in learning more about DTI Mimaropa’s programs and projects for small businesses can visit the DTI Provincial Offices and Negosyo Centers. (DTI MIMAROPA)
