President Ferdinand R. Marcos on Sunday urged the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to come up with a public-private partnership (PPP)-style “support system” to assist the development and growth of start-ups and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Marcos raised this idea during a situation briefing with the DTI-Western Visayas regional office on the sidelines of the Negros Occidental trip on Sunday, according to a press release from Malacañang.

“We should be ready to bring our support one step further. There should be a support system to assist start-ups and our MSMEs by opening doors to new connections, get them to the digital world to help them connect with private companies for support,” Marcos was quoted as saying.

He said the DTI-Western Visayas should find a way to connect start-ups and MSMEs with private financiers and investors to help them sustain and grow their businesses.

“Make people aware of these businesses kasi madaming magaganda (because there are so many good ones) so that we can find people to partner with them,” he added.

In his inaugural State of the Nation Address (SONA), Marcos reiterated the government’s “commitment to work hand-in-hand with all stakeholders to make certain that MSMEs are protected and provided with ample opportunities.”

Amend EPIRA

Meanwhile, Marcos also took part in discussions about amending the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) in order to make use of renewable energy to bring down the cost of power.

This, after Bacolod City Mayor Albee Benitez bared that they were thinking of entering into joint venture agreements with solar power generators to enable them to buy the power at lower prices.

Benitez said the EPIRA law does not allow producers to sell to the users but directly goes to the grid.

Marcos urged Bacolod City to get the opinion of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), noting that the ERC’s opinion would be the basis of an amendment to the EPIRA Law.

Possible amendments to the EPIRA law is one of the priority legislative measures approved in the recent Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting in Malacañang.

EPIRA mandates the ERC to promote competition, encourage market development, ensure consumer choice and penalize abuse of market power in the electricity industry. (PNA)