The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Laguna brought
closer its assistance to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through
its Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay – Livelihood Seeding Program (NSB-LSP).
DTI Laguna has lined up series of visits to different barangays in the province with the aim to support the MSMEs who were affected by the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic and guide stakeholders who may also be of help to assist them on the ground.
“NSB-LSP is an initiative of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through the Negosyo Centers that allows a wider reach of business development assistance by bringing programs, activities and services closer to the people, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) affected by calamity, disaster, epidemic, pandemic and human-induced hazards,” Sr. Trade-Industry Development Specialist Christian Ted O. Tungohan, Unit Head of Office of the Provincial Director, explained.
Capability Building Seminars are employed not only for MSMEs and beneficiaries, but also for Barangay Development Council (BDC) Members and Barangay Officials.
MSME beneficiaries of the LSP-NSB Program may include sole proprietors, cooperatives, or sectoral associations that are located in identified barangays, including those in Local Communist Armed Conflict (LCAC) affected areas and vulnerable communities.
The identification of prospective beneficiaries is being done by the barangay officials, while DTI-Laguna is in charge with the validation and final selection.
The first leg of the program in Laguna took place at the town of Majayjay last July 21, where DTI Laguna Provincial Office held a Capability Building Seminar for the 1st Batch of Barangay Officials and BDC members of four Identified Barangays in the locality.
Alongside the seminar, they have facilitated the setting up of NSB Desks for every identified barangay. The desk serves as venue for the would-be and existing entrepreneurs in the barangays to obtain necessary information on business-related concerns.
They have also brought the program to the towns of Luisiana, Paete, Magdalena, Pangil and Victoria this month.
He said this program is expected to help increase the awareness of barangay officials about the services offered by the Department through the Negosyo Centers.
This will also be instrumental in identifying the MSMEs with business operations within the barangays including those in Local Communist Armed Conflict (LCAC) affected areas and vulnerable communities such as the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and refugees or stateless persons also known as Persons of Concern (POCs), among others.
The department also conducts business development assistance and provides services to the identified barangays and grant individual package of Livelihood Kits amounting to Php 5,000.00.
Through this initiative, DTI Laguna seeks to assist in the business recovery of MSMEs affected by natural and human-induced calamities which at present is experienced specifically due to the health disaster arising from COVID-19 pandemic.
“Priority assistance shall be given to MSMEs affected by natural and human-induced calamities including health disasters arising from epidemics and pandemics,” he stated.
Moreover, this will also help increase the number of MSMEs in the formal sector and create more jobs that will be helpful in the economy that was hardly hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For the micro enterprises, aspiring entrepreneurs and those affected by the pandemic, do not lose hope, and be receptive to government assistance like attending business related seminars & coaching sessions to help them and our economy bounce back,” he pronounced as an encouragement to the country’s MSMEs.
More NSB-LSP activities will be held in barangays of
other towns such as Paete on August 4, Magdalena on August 5, and Pangil on
August 7, 2020. (Content reposted from Philippine Information Agency)
