DESPITE the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the Department of Trade and Industry – Nueva Ecija Provincial Office (DTI-Nueva Ecija) is set to launch more Negosyo Centers (NCs) and Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay (NSB) this year.
Nueva Ecija houses 22 NCs and 47 NSBs in different cities and municipalities.
In 2021, DTI-Nueva Ecija is set to launch 12 new Negosyo Centers in Licab, Carranglan, Pantabangan, Rizal, Talugtug, Cabanatuan City, Laur, Gabaldon, Sta. Rosa, Jaen, Peñaranda and San Isidro towns.
Including the existing NCs in the province, the DTI is targeting a total of 34 Negosyo Centers in 32 cities and municipalities.
Meanwhile, at least 23 Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay set up are set to be done for 2021.
The NSBs are set to be implemented in barangays of Aliaga, Nampicuan and Talavera in the first district of the province. In the second district, NSBs will also be set up in Carranglan, Llanera, Lupao, Pantabangan, San Jose City, Science City of Muñoz and Talugtug.
For the third district, NSBs are set to be launched in Bongabon, Cabanatuan City, Gabaldon and Santa Rosa. In the fourth district, DTI will set up NSBs in Cabiao, Gapan, General Tinio, Peñaranda, San Antonio and San Leonardo.
The Negosyo Center is a one-stop-shop for services that cater to entrepreneurs’ needs in processing requirements to establish a business and in accessing information for their growth.
Among its services are business registration assistance; business advisory services that include product development, trade promotion, financing facilitation, investment matching and MSME counseling; business information and advocacy that include provision of economic, technical, market and investment-related materials and conduct of information campaigns through training, seminars, dialogues, and publication; and monitoring and evaluation.
DTI further extends its services through the Livelihood Seeding Program- Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay (LSP-NSB) which aims to bring inclusive business in the grassroots as it complements the Negosyo Centers.
The NSB aims to increase the awareness of barangay officials about the services of the DTI through the Negosyo Centers; identify MSMEs with business operations including those in Local Communist Armed Conflict-affected areas and vulnerable communities and those affected by natural and human-induced calamities including health disasters arising from epidemics and pandemics; conduct of business development assistance; and provide individual package of livelihood kits.
The establishment of the NSBs for this year will also complete the coverage for 32 cities and municipalities.
Each NSB is entitled to five MSMEs who will be given livelihood kits amounting to an average of P 7,500.
In 2020, a total of 20,616 NC and NSB clients were assisted by DTI Nueva Ecija.
The establishment of the NCs and the NSBs are expected to increase the number of NC clients who will be assisted, new entrepreneurs and products developed as well as individuals who will be provided with livelihood kits.
These projects are done in collaboration with the local government units, Nueva Ecija Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Council and the Nueva Ecija Provincial Government.