PARTICIPATING micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the 8th Negros Business Week held at the Robinsons Place Bacolod generated a total sales of about P450, 000.
Of the 17 participating enterprises, 11 with selling booths earned an average of not less than P5,000 per day during the seven-day activity which ended last Sunday.
Frank Carbon, chief executive officer of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI), said the amount of sales generated indicates that if these enterprises are properly assisted, they really have the capacity to grow.
“Helping them expose their products properly to the market, they can really sell their products and generate huge sales,” said Carbon, also the regional governor of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Western Visayas and Negros Island Region (NIR).
He, however, pointed out that the business chamber can do only so much in exposing MSMEs to the market with the hope of linking them to potential regular or institutional buyers.
“The big help could still come from different government agencies as well as their respective attached agencies like the Department of Trade and Industry and the Small Business Corporation,” Carbon said, reiterating that they should pull together their efforts to create a synergy of impact to the small businesses.
Other agencies like the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Agriculture should also consider harmonizing and rationalizing their initiatives not to duplicate, but to complement and supplement each other, he added.
The 8th Negros Business Week themed “Moving Up Negros Island through MSMEs” was organized by MBCCI with the Province of Negros Occidental, and the City of Bacolod.
During the event, local enterprises were able to showcase their products from trading, fashion and accessories, gifts and home decoration, furnishing, and food sectors.