LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- The effects of the global financial crisis where even multi-national companies are cutting costs through massive layoffs of workers, shorter workdays and time or even total shutdown of operations, seem to have not affected much of this capital town’s entrepreneurs.

Valley Bread’s Eric Espadero said business is still relatively stable, although he admitted there was a 20 percent decrease in sales with consumers buying less due to cost-cutting.

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Their supply of raw materials also decreased which in turn affected production.

Despite these, Espadero said not one of his workers was laid off. He is optimistic that with the dollar remittances going up, local consumers would have more cash.

Espadero believes government is doing its part in helping the business sector in terms of financial assistance by providing loans at affordable interest rates, and monitoring of prices so unscrupulous businessmen could not hoodwink consumers.

Meanwhile, Alex Berad, proprietor of Saparan Livestock, said the company is experiencing stiffer competition these days because there are more farmer-businessmen venturing into livestock raising.

“Farmers who bring their fresh vegetable to the lowlands haul livestock and poultry products back here,” he explained.

Like Espadero, Berad remains optimistic sales will also soon pick up.