DTI 11 set to establish 5 more Negosyo Centers

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 11 is set to establish five more Negosyo Centers in Davao region in the first semester of the year in a bid to provide services to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME).
“The DTI 11 is targeting to establish a total of 14 centers this year. We will set up the other nine centers by the second half of the year,” Marilou D. Laguting, DTI 11 designated chief of staff of the regional director, said in Tuesday’s Davao Business Forum at Dermpath in SM City Davao.
Laguting said the DTI 11 will launch the Negosyo Center in Compostela Valley Municipality on the fourth week of April and another center will be inaugurated on the third week of May located in Malita in the new province of Davao Occidental.
The DTI 11 will also inaugurate the Negosyo Center in Tagum City on the third week of June in time for the Araw ng Davao del Norte.
The Negosyo Center in Baganga, Davao Oriental will be also operational on the first week of June while the second Negosyo Center for Davao City that will be located in Toril to cater to the growing number of agri-food processors will be completed and inaugurated in time for the MSME Week on the second week of July.
DTI- Davao City provincial director Edwin Banquerigo said in another interview that the center in Toril will provide assistance to budding start-ups and food processors from the southern part of the city.
At present, the city has only one center located at the office of the Davao City Investment Promotion Center (DCIPC) in the vicinity of Magsaysay Park Complex. It was the first center in the city which became fully operational July last year.
The agency allocated P800, 000 for the establishment of the first Negosyo Center in Davao City that has a total area of 110-square-meter floor area.
DTI 11 regional director Ma. Belenda Q. Ambi earlier said the provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, and Compostela Valley will have three Negosyo Centers each, while the new province of Davao Occidental and Davao City will have one center each.
The DTI allocated some P4.7 million this year for the establishment and operation of the six centers in the region.
The establishment of Negosyo Centers, anchored on Republic Act 10644 or the Go Negosyo Act which was passed in 2014, is one of the flagship programs of DTI which provides assistance and facilitation to SMEs in terms of business registration, capacity building, consultations, and information packages. CHENEEN R. CAPON