THE Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) continue to push for the development of “blue-collar” enterprises in Negros Occidental, especially those in rural and agricultural areas, its official said.
MBCCI Chief Executive Frank Carbon said on Friday, July 6, investments and jobs are centered in the city and urban areas thus, there is a need to develop rural areas through one, supporting small businesses there to grow.
“We have to develop the rural areas or else private investments will not go there,” Carbon said, adding that businesses will not grow if people outside the urban areas have no purchasing power.
As a measure to encourage livelihood and employment opportunities among rural areas while waiting for investments to come, MBCCI is giving importance to “blue-collar” entrepreneurs for this year’s Negros Business Week.
Now on its 9th year, the week-long activity to be held at Robinsons Place Bacolod will start on Monday, July 9.
Themed “Government and Business: Partnering for Growth and Development,” it will gather at least 30 exhibitors mostly from localities outside Bacolod City.
Forming part of the participants are about 10 local government units (LGUs) in the province, which are helping entrepreneurs by gathering and bringing their products to the Business Week.
Provided under a Provincial Ordinance, the annual event is conducted every second week of July. This spearheaded by MBCCI and Provincial Government in collaboration with line agencies like the Department of Science and Technology (Dost) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Carbon said this year’s activity mainly aims to enable small business from rural areas to expose their products and see whether it can be sold in city or urban areas.
Also, it would provide them the opportunity to tap potential bigger markets, he said.
Aside from display and selling, participating-entrepreneurs will also be availing "consultations" with the DOST, DTI and other government agencies.
Carbon said these agencies can actually help our “blue-collar” entrepreneurs in terms of upgrading their equipment, product development, ensuring food safety, and access to shared service facilities, among others.
“Development of small businesses has been our goal every year, we only change our approaches depending on available resources and pressing situation,” he said, adding that “we are making sure that growth and development are biased towards the rural areas as it is what we need now.”
For MBCCI, moreover, “blue-collar” entrepreneurs pertains to mom and pop stores, which dirty their hands to produce something whether handicrafts and food, among others.
Carbon said these are startups, or micro and small businesses which have not taken off yet. Some had but needs further assistance.
The organization is optimistic that by enabling these entrepreneurs to grow they can be able to contribute to employment generation in their communities.
“It is the vision of MBCCI to promote inclusive growth,” Carbon said, stressing that “we cannot grow if the province where we operate will not grow.”