Monday, September 10, 2007 Business forum held in Kalinga
FIFTY-SIX small scale businessmen in Kalinga met with government and private institution representatives in a 2-day business forum last week in Tabuk City.
Noryn Bagano of the Department of Trade and Industry-Kalinga, who is one of the coordinators, said the forum was called by the Provincial Small and Medium Entrepreneur Development Council to thresh out actions to address pressing needs of the sector and to present assistance offered by private and government funding institutions.
Among the major issues raised included skills enhancement among workers in business establishments, securing permit to transport finished products, which often causes big problem every time trade fairs are scheduled, and the peace and order situation.
“If we want our products and services to be competitive with those coming in from outside sources, we should have efficient business work force,” the group pointed out. This was noted by the Technical Educational Skills Development Authority.
Representative from the Provincial Environment & Natural Resources Office (Penro) explained the requirements in the issuance of travel permits, which starts from the registration of the specific plantation where raw materials are derived.
The procedure may require some processing but Penro said their office sees to it that needed permits are immediately released upon completion of all the requirements.
Kalinga Apayao State College offered the services of its Research Center in line with research and development needs of the sector, particularly on product and raw material data.
The alarming peace and order situation of the place, which is characterized as non-conducive to business, is assigned to the Department of Interior and Local Government, which assured improved services of its local police force.
The local finance group, composed of banks and cooperatives, scrolled down their soft loan programs which are already serving many members of sector.
Services of this group are over that provided by the Small Business Guarantee
and Finance Corporation (SBGFC), a subsidiary of the DTI which offered financial assistance to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) under the existing rural micro-enterprise promotion program (RuMEPP).
The program is one of the key projects of President Arroyo in steering the country towards the first world class in the next 20 years.
