THE DEPARTMENT of Trade and Industry Cordillera (DTI-CAR) continues to promote awareness on disaster resilience of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) development in the region considered as one of the most vulnerable sectors.
Through the Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development (BSMED) which recently hosted a regional business forum in the city and was attended by close to 200 and other stakeholders, the business forum focused on building a regional roadmap and action plan for MSME disaster resilience.
Myrna Pablo, DTI–CAR regional director outlined the importance of the forum in strengthening business resilience for the MSMEs sector in Cordillera.
“Around 15,000 MSME’s in the region are very vulnerable with at least 80 percent of them to be easily affected by flooding, typhoons, and landslides that commonly result to road closures or isolation particularly the far flung mountainous communities,” Pablo said.
The forum generally aims to capacitate and promote awareness on disaster resilience for MSME’s to be regionally integrated and for their business endeavors to be globally competitive and sustainable, said Jaworksi Rifareal of DTI–BSMED.
The learning sessions included Office of Civil Defense Regional Director Albert Mogol who talked about the Philippine DRRM System; Abigail Guiang of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation presented the public–private partnership and business continuity planning and management; and Margarita Dizon of DOST–Phivolcs talked about the natural hazards and risks in the region, while Businessmen Virgilio Bautista and Antonio Rafio Jr. shared their perspective on Business Continuity Plan.
Jesus Alegre Jr. of Land Bank of the Philippines presented LBP’s Calamity Rehabilitation Support Fund while Maria Lourdes Tan of Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Solution talked about micro–insurance.
The forum participants were engaged in a workshop that focused on the four themes of the National MSME Disaster Resilience Roadmap, namely enhancing MSME General and Disaster Risk Data; DRRM and Business Continuity Management awareness and training; Tailored Risk Financing for MSMEs; and MSMEs inclusion in the DRRM and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) policy, planning and local institutions, as part of the development of the regional action plan.
Pablo assured in addition to the forum, DTI–CAR will roll out the MSME Disaster Resiliency action planning and awareness advocacy in the different provinces of Cordillera until they can bring the importance of business continuity planning and management to all MSMEs in the region.