November 9, 2022, San Vicente, TARLAC - Meant to attract budding entrepreneurs to maximize government opportunities, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Office No. III through its Tarlac Field Office extends its programs to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the three-day Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Caravan at the Bulwagan ng Kanlahi, Diwa ng Tarlac, San Vicente, Tarlac City.

According to DOLE Tarlac head Aurita Laxamana, DOLE is bringing various DOLE programs directly to MSMEs through the caravan. “Today, we housed in a single hall all organizations, both public and private, that cater and serve MSMEs in different aspects of their business. This hopefully opens the door to many unknown or unrecognized opportunities that can help them thrive in their chosen ventures,” Laxamana said in an interview.

The MSME caravan held on November 8 to 10, 2022 was initiated by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) – Tarlac Chapter. In his opening message, PCCI Tarlac President Leonardo M. Cudo urged both students and entrepreneurs to make the most of the caravan, especially the entrepreneurial coaching and consulting sessions being offered. “Here our goal is to create and grow more entrepreneurs which means more opportunities, more jobs, and more taxes. So the support goes back to the government until it can help more individuals and families again,” Cudo explained.

For DOLE’s part, Labor and Employment Officer III Desire Julian-Gonzales said that the Department provides access to individuals and groups for capacity-building on entrepreneurial ventures. “Once their application is complete, it will be evaluated as to its viability and sustainability, and of course, availability of funds,” Gonzales mentioned. According to her, minimum requirements of the program include a Letter of Application, Project or Business Proposal, and Beneficiary Profile (with 1x1 ID picture attached). 

Meanwhile, Supervising Labor and Employment Officer Kenneth Liza of RTWPB-III conducted a productivity seminar during the second day of the caravan. This was attended by 45 participants where 25 are DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) beneficiaries.

The caravan featured trainings and orientation involving the topics:

- Entrepreneurial Mind-setting and Coaching

- Bee Farming as an Enterprise

- Productivity 101

- Importance of Production Management

- Business Taxation

- Innovative Needs of the Manufacturing Sector

- Bread and Coffee-making

- Food Safety Essentials

- Quality Control for Business Operators

Also present during the activity are DTI-III Assistant Regional Director Brigida T. Pili, DTI Tarlac head Zaida Garibay, and Harmes Sembrano, member of Tarlac Provincial Board.

The 3-day MSME caravan was organized by the Tarlac Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Development (MSMED) Council where DOLE as well as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Technical Education And Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and Department of Science and Technology (DOST) are agency partners.##

END/ A. Cunanan