THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) should reach out to the poorest sectors, especially those in regions with high poverty incidence, by providing them access to livelihood opportunities, Sen. Loren Legarda said over the weekend.
Legarda said micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) play a “vital” role in economic growth and poverty alleviation.
During the hearing for the proposed 2017 budget of the DTI, Legarda said it should ensure that the poorest provinces are given priority in the Shared Service Facilities (SSF) Project.
A major component of the MSME Development Program of the DTI is the SSF Project, which aims to improve the competitiveness of MSMEs by providing them with machinery, equipment, tools, systems, skills and knowledge under a shared system.
Legarda has proposed amendments to the 2017 National Budget for SSF Capital Outlay in order to help MSMEs in the poorest regions. The Office of the Secretary has been tasked to come up with the required amount, based on the needs of the 20 poorest provinces in the Philippines.
“I want you to look deeper into the situation and find ways on how we can reach the bottom of the pyramid—those who are not capable of joining trade fairs and those who have skills and indigenous resources but are unable to register or acquire the usual permits—so we can open up more opportunities for them,” Legarda said.
She encouraged the DTI to mandate all its regional offices to take a more “proactive” approach in extending support to the poor through the conduct of entrepreneurship and livelihood training.
“We have to help those who have greater needs, those who will never be employed in mega businesses but could still have a fighting chance for profitable means of livelihood,” Legarda said.
“The vigilance of the DTI in assisting and training more micro-entrepreneurs with product development, product quality, good management, labeling and marketing through their personnel assigned in the provinces will be an invaluable economic growth boost,” she added.