LAOAG CITY—Agnes Asuncion, a local producer of dragon fruit herbal soap and local fruit wines is set to go on a trip to Bangkok, Thailand on June 12 for a three-day training on product development and marketing.
Asuncion, a former Overseas Filipino Worker returnee from Barangay Pias, Currimao town is just among the 25 lucky beneficiaries that make up the first batch of trainees of the so-called Kapatid Mentor Me (KMME) Program of the Department of Trade and Industry, which seeks to help small and medium entrepreneurs improve their products to be able to compete in the global market.
The 58-year old widow said she is eager to learn new things as she has proven herself that agri-entrepreneurship is more rewarding than working abroad.
Among the topics expected to be discussed in the training include product packaging and labeling. “There are so many trainings that I have already attended but each of them are different. Going to Thailand for another training is another opportunity for us to improved our existing products,” said Asuncion.
Launched earlier this year, Provincial Director Benjamin Garcia of DTI said the KMME program aims to assist MSMEs scale up and sustain their businesses through weekly coaching and mentoring by business owners and practitioners on different functional areas of entrepreneurship.
Some of the modules offered include topics on Marketing, Financial Management, Human Resource Management, Operations Management.
This is a priority program of the national government through the DTI in partnership with Go Negosyo to serve as the entrepreneurs’ guide to a globally competitive enterprise, the DTI said.
As part of the ASEAN integration program, SMEs from the Philippines are also given the chance to attend international trainings to improve their products. (Leilanie Adriano/PNA)
