THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Northern Mindanao is planning on building fifteen more Negosyo Centers across the region in 2018.
This year, DTI-Bukidnon is slated to launch 5 Negosyo Centers; Lanao del Norte is targeting 4 centers, while both Misamis Oriental and Occidental are set to establish 3 more centers each before 2018 ends.
Building Negosyo Centers is in line with Republic Act No. 10644 or the Go Negosyo Act and aims to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), promote ease of doing business, facilitate access to grants and other forms of financial assistance, Shared Service Facilities (SSF) and other equipment, and provide support for MSMEs.
It also helps ensure management guidance, assistance and improvement of the working conditions of MSMEs and facilitate market access and linkaging services for entrepreneurs.
According to DTI-10, about 805 centers are already existing nationwide. In the region, 28 negosyo centers were built in 2016 and an additional 26 in 2017. To date, there are already 54 negosyo centers in the region.
The 54 negosyo centers in Northern Mindanao, DTI-10 said, were able to assist 43,189 clients. Some P41.8 million worth of micro loans have been released to 98 MSMEs. Also last year, 1,673 clients availed of the Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso (P3) micro financing through the Small Business Corporation, the DTO said.