BACOLOD CITY, July 31 — The Provincial Micro, Small, Medium Enterprise Development (MSMED) Council of Negros Occidental will engage the participation of more government agencies in the succeeding annual learning activities for local entrepreneurs.
This is based on the assessment conducted by the body after the staging of the 1st Negros Island Region (NIR) MSME Summit held at SMX Convention Center Bacolod last July 19.
Mary Ann Colmenares, chairman of the Provincial MSMED Council, on Monday said they would institutionalize the summit by holding it every year.
She added that the council would step up efforts in tapping participation from more government agencies vital in the development of MSMEs aside from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
These agencies will include the Departments of Science and Technology (DOST), of Agriculture (DA), of Information and Communications Technology (DICT); and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), among others.
“Many enterprises in the region would like to venture into agripreneurship thus, we need to also create links with the DA,” Colmenares said.
The council also recognized the importance of embedding ICT in helping entrepreneurs to innovate, especially in efficiently promoting their products in the market.
“We really have to maximize the available technology thus, we have been trying to incorporate ICT in our bid to further develop local entrepreneurs,” Colmenares added.
She also said that bringing the DOST to the summit would also address pressing industry concerns in terms of machines, which is one of the 7M’s needed for successful MSMEs under the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The summit highlighted the seven M’s which include mindset, mastery, mentoring, markets, money, machines, and models, which are the key elements tying together the four outcome portfolios for MSMEs – business enabling environment, productivity and efficiency, access to market, and finance.(Erwin P. Nicavera/PNA)