Monday, March 17, 2008 Project ends after assisting 756 small, medium firms in Vismin
AFTER almost a decade of helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country, the second phase of a project funded by the Canadian Government ended after having improved the competitiveness of more than 750 SMEs in the Visayas and Mindanao.
The Canadian Executive Service Organization Business Advisory Project (CESO-BAP), a two-phase project resulting from the bilateral relations between the Canadian Government and the Philippines, started in 1999 and came to an end last Friday.
The project, funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (Cida), has helped SMEs improved various aspects in their operations, such as marketing, management system and financial management. CESO-BAP tapped experts from Canada who gave technical inputs both to individual companies and to clustered industries.
Boy Pernia, founding president of Profoods, an SME based in Bohol, said CESO-BAP helped the company “break the barriers of animosity among small entrepreneurs.” Profoods is among the SMEs that has benefited from the project.
From 2003 to 2008, CESO-BAP helped 509 SMEs in the Visayas and 247 in Mindanao.
CESO-BAP country project manager Tim Moiket said all SMEs assisted under the program are now “self-sustaining” and have helped alleviate poverty by generating jobs in their communities.
Indicators
He said the project used several indicators—including improved productivity, financial and management systems, and quality and competitive products, as well as better access to markets—to measure the sustainability of assisted SMEs.
Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines Robert Desjardins said that although the project has come to an end, it has achieved a milestone.
He said the Canadian Government will implement other projects in the Philippines. He declined to specify these projects, however.
He also revealed that Canadian investors have a number of business interests in the Philippines, which will be explored further when the Canada-Philippines business council meet in May.
In June, a delegation from Canada will also come to the Philippines for a trade visit.
To further ensure the sustainability of assisted SMEs assisted, CESO-BAP has tapped the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), its partner in the last four years.
The Asian Institute of Management (AIM) will also document the success stories of SMEs assisted under the CESO-BAP, including best practices that other businesses can replicate. The AIM case bank will be available by the end of this month.
In last Friday’s culmination activity, the BAP group presented a new documentary titled, “Beyond Business,” which showcases success stories of some of the SMEs that were given assistance by the project. Featured SMEs were involved various endeavors, like basket weaving, food processing, garments, pastry making and metal works.
In the same event, the CESO-BAP team acknowledged the help of the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Science and Technology, the National Economic and Development Authority, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and concerned local and provincial government units in the country. (DME)
