FOUR of the 22 Negosyo Centers in Negros Occidental, are among the country’s top performing facilities, particularly in the number of clients assisted and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) served.
The Negosyo Center Monitoring System (NCMS) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recently included Negosyo Centers in cities of Bacolod, Kabankalan, and Victorias, and the town of Hinigaran as among the top 50 centers.
Negosyo Center in Bacolod City ranked ninth with 6,729 clients assisted from January to July 2018.
The facility in Kabankalan City ranked 33rd catering to 3,034 MSMEs during the first seven months of the year.
Those in Hinigaran and Victorias City ranked 45 and 47, respectively, with 2,210 and 1,982 total clients assisted.
Engiemar Tupas, Negosyo Center coordinator for Negros Occidental, said Sunday, December 2, that being included in the list of facilities with most number of clients assisted is a validation that Negosyo Centers in the province are performing well in terms of bringing the services of the agency closer to the stakeholders.
Tupas, also the senior trade and industry development specialist of DTI-Negros Occidental, said the clients served to account for those, mostly MSMEs, availing entrepreneurial, product development, and business trainings.
These services are on top of trademark and Barangay Micro Business Enterprise (BMBE) registration, he also said.
“We continue to work on having dynamic and efficient Negosyo Centers in the province,” Tupas said, stressing that “these facilities are positioned to really provide MSMEs access to DTI services.”
The establishment of Negosyo Centers is provided under the Republic Act 10644, or the Go Negosyo Act.
It provides MSMEs the ease of doing business, and facilitates access to grants and other forms of financial assistance, and shared service facilities (SSF), among others.
The law aims to ensure management guidance, assistance, and improvement of the working conditions of enterprises, and facilitate market access and linkage services for entrepreneurs.
Aside from these services, the Negosyo Center can also accept and facilitate business name registration applications.
In Negros Occidental, six Negosyo Centers were opened in 2018. These are in Binalbagan, Cadiz City, Escalante City, San Enrique, Pontevedra, and Talisay City.
In 2017, eight other Negosyo Centers were opened in the province. These are in Isabela, Hinoba-an, La Castellana, Cauayan, E.B. Magalona, Himamaylan, Bago City, and Sipalay City.
In 2016, the eighth Negosyo Center in the province was unveiled in Hinigaran town. Others that opened that year are those in the cities of Bacolod, San Carlos, Victorias, and La Carlota.
The Negros First Negosyo Center at the Provincial Capitol Complex in Bacolod City was opened in 2015 along with those in the cities of Kabankalan and Sagay.
The 22 Negosyo Centers in Negros Occidental form part of 1,000 centers established nationwide.
Tupas said the “recognition” will motivate the four Negosyo Centers to further improve the services in their respective localities.
“We are encouraging other Negosyo Centers in the province to strategize so they can also cater to more stakeholders especially MSMEs,” he added.