THOUSANDS of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and aspiring entrepreneurs in Cebu City are expected to gain easier access to business registration, advisory services and government support programs following the opening of the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) 40th Negosyo Center in Cebu.
Launched on May 15, 2026 in partnership between the DTI and the Cebu City Government, the new Negosyo Center brings key government services closer to entrepreneurs, reducing the need to visit multiple offices for business registration assistance, mentoring, financing information and other enterprise development programs.
The facility, located on the fourth floor of Robinsons Galleria Cebu, operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Co-located with Cebu City’s Business One Stop Shop, it enables entrepreneurs to access both national and local government services in a single location, streamlining business transactions and supporting the government’s ease of doing business initiative.
Cebu City Business Permit and Licensing Office head Atty. Jared Limquiaco said the partnership streamlines the entrepreneurial journey by bridging national government services and local government processes.
“The launching… is the product of both offices’ commitment to the principles of the ease of doing business initiative. This essentially bridges the gap between national agency services and local government processes, thus streamlining the entrepreneurial journey for every Cebuano,” Limquiaco said.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said the initiative supports the City’s vision of becoming a sustainable, smart and inclusive city by 2035.
“This is in direction with the mission of Cebu City, that Cebu City 2035 will be a sustainable, smart and inclusive city,” Archival said, adding that the City Government will continue supporting programs that empower local entrepreneurs.
DTI Cebu Provincial Director Marivic Aguilar said the establishment of a dedicated Negosyo Center in Cebu City fulfills the agency’s mandate of setting up centers in every city and municipality while making its services more accessible.
The launch featured a presentation of Negosyo Center programs and services. DTI said the new center is expected to strengthen Cebu City’s MSME ecosystem by improving access to government services, encouraging business formalization, supporting enterprise growth and fostering closer collaboration between national and local government agencies. / KOC