DTI to render services in April

In a move to serve more micro, small and medium enterprises and consumers in Davao Region, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will hold its first-ever One DTI Services Week on April 22 to 25 in various venues.
“We will be bringing down at least 10 services regularly offered by the DTI and other Manila-based attached agencies like the Small Business Corporation (SBC) and Design Center of the Philippines,” Marilou D. Laguting, designated chief of staff of DTI 11 regional director Maria Belenda Q. Ambi, told reporters in yesterday’s Davao Business Forum at Dermpath in SM City Davao.
Laguting said the more than 500 expected participants will be able to avail of free services like business consultancy and access to micro-financing from DTI. They will be assisted by Manila-based attached agencies of the department.
While the business name registration will be available in the five-day event, it won’t be free.
Laguting said the five-day activity will provide participants services and trainings on product development, packaging, product labeling, design, and micro financing which will be held simultaneously with a trade fair at ground floor of the SM Lanang Premier.
The skills training and seminars for consumers and MSMEs will be held in Park Inn by Radissons Davao and Grand Regal Hotel.
“On the first day, we will be opening the trade fair where different products will be showcased. We will also award the P500,000 worth of bottom up budgeting to the local government unit of Boston in Davao Oriental which will be allocated for the conduct of capability-building training and skills training to the marginal sector that include women, youth, indigenous people and persons with disabilities,” she said.
One of the important services which will be made available during the event is the financing program of the SBC.
“It was identified during meeting with MSMEs that access to financing services continued to be one of the challenges faced by the entrepreneurs,” she said.
Laguting said the SBC provide opportunity to MSMEs who wanted to have a soft loan which can be used to increase their capitalization.
“Only a few knows that the DTI has attached agency that can provide loan programs to deserving MSMEs,” she added.
She said MSMEs can take up loans of P200,000 to P500,000.
As much as the DTI wants commercial financing institutions like banks to relax their loan policies, Laguting said MSMEs will have better chances of borrowing from banks and other financing agents if they turn to cooperatives.
She also urged MSMEs to be responsible in their bookkeeping and accounting, which are the basic requirements when applying for loans. CHENEEN R. CAPON