The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is continuously rolling out programs that will assist the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) survive and thrive amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

The latest initiative of the DTI is its partnership with the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) to facilitate workshops and programs for entrepreneurs and provide them access to working capital loans and other financial services.

In a statement Wednesday, the DTI said it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with BPI Business Banking, adding that the latter will support the agency’s programs such as the SME Roving Academy, the Kapatid Mentor ME, and Youth Entrepreneurship Program, as well as regional trade fairs.

“We hope that through this partnership with DTI, we will be able to make it clear to our SME customers that they are not too small to be served by a large bank. We believe they deserve to have access to the same kind of financial products and services that larger companies already have access to,” BPI Business Banking head Eric Luchangco said.

DTI Undersecretary Blesila Lantayona has underscored a commitment to help MSMEs recover from impacts brought by the global health and economic crisis.

“As both parties commit to work together in teaching MSMEs nationwide to adapt and possibly pivot their businesses to the new normal, we look forward to the actualization of this MOU by looking at the greater visibility of BPI, especially in the programs and projects of DTI regional and provincial offices,” she said.

Online mentoring

The DTI’s office in Davao Region will produce more graduates from the Kapatid Mentor ME program, which guides existing and aspiring MSMEs in their entrepreneurial journey.

DTI Region 11 will continue the Kapatid Mentor ME program through online mentoring.

Despite the pandemic, last year’s online mentoring in Davao Region produced 80 Kapatid Mentor ME graduates.

Since the program started in 2016, it produced a total of 546 graduates across the region.

SSF for returning LSIs

Meanwhile, the DTI also provided shared service facilities (SSF) worth PHP6.6 million in Caraga Region to support the national government’s Balik Probinsya Bagong Pag-asa Program.

To provide a source of income for the returning locally stranded individuals (LSIs), the DTI provided SSF on food processing in three local government units (LGUs) in Agusan del Norte; SSF on virgin coconut oil (VCO) processing and organic tablea production in Agusan del Sur; SSF on mobile mariculture platform in Surigao del Norte; and SSF on cacao processing, VCO processing, and mariculture platform in the province of Dinagat Islands

As of 2020, the DTI established 169 SSF projects in Caraga. (PNA)