The spirit of entrepreneurship continues to consume the local landscape as more technologies and business solutions are being made available to even the smallest of businesses in the country.
With the increasing impact of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) on the nation’s GDP, it is no surprise that Filipino entrepreneurship is being elevated and prioritized in the new government administration’s economic agenda.
Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez said, “We recognize the need to put back the focus on MSMEs as they serve as great contributors to the economic growth of the country. Entrepreneurs are key players in our vision of nation building, and we want to be able to give them that helping hand by supplying them with the right resources and mentors and witness the growth of their business.”
In an effort to promote the goal of sustainable inclusive growth across enterprises of all sizes, Go Negosyo, in collaboration with the DTI, launched the KAPATID Program - an initiative that encourages large corporations to help MSMEs through introducing Inclusive Business (IB) models, a commercially viable business solution that benefits low-income communities by including them in a company’s value chain.
“Go Negosyo first and foremost started with a dream of wanting to help Filipinos uplift their lives,” Go Negosyo founding trustee Joey Concepcion said. “The KAPATID Program gives business owners the opportunity to gain confidence in their business and actively take part in an economy that is constantly developing. As big businesses grow, small businesses grow along with them.”
Under the program is the flagship capacity-building project -- Make it BIG Mentor Me sessions -- that bring together established and aspiring industry leaders in a series of sessions that tackle different aspects of business in order to equip MSMEs with the necessary capabilities, eventually giving them the skills to effectively sustain their enterprise on their own.
“Going into business could possibly be the most significant avenue to finally eliminate poverty in our country,” PLDT Group Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said. “We fully support the initiatives of our long-time partners Go Negosyo and DTI as we continue to open business opportunities and inspire more Filipinos to grow together as one nation.”
Go Negosyo and DTI continues its efforts to provide free and accessible learning seminars and programs around the country for budding entrepreneurs, together with PLDT SME Nation, the MSME arm of the country’s leading telecommunication corporation. By working together to equip business owners with the right tools and skills to make it big in business, PLDT SME Nation and its valued partners lead the way for inclusive growth for all Filipinos.