PILIPINAS—Inilahad ni Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez ang kahalagahan ng mga kababaihang entreprenyur sa muling pagbangon ng ekonomiya ng bansa pagkaraan ng naranasang pandemya ng bansa habang pasulong ito sa post-COVID economic recovery 3A Program Batch 2 Handog Kabuhayan: Alay Kay Juana ni inilunsad nuong 08 March 2021.  

Ang pagdiriwang ng International Women’s Day, ay inia alay ng DTI sa mga negosyong pinangungunahan ng mga kababaihang entreprenyur na mga micro, small, at medium (MSMEs) sa nakaraang virtual graduation program ng 3A Program na ang ibig sabihgin ay “Accept, Adapt, Act.”  

“Today, as we celebrate International Women’s Day, we want to highlight the extraordinary roles of women-led MSMEs, or Micro, Small, and Medium Entrepreneurs o MSMEs. With the help of our MSMEs, our country can be more hopeful for a post-COVID future that will be poised for a Better Normal,” ayon kay Sec. Lopez  

“DTI remains committed to assisting our women-led MSMEs and our aspiring entrepreneurs who will be our champions to push for our economy’s growth to pre-COVID levels and beyond.”  dagdag pa nito

Ang 3A program ay isang integrated training program ng DTI-Regional Operations Group (ROG), Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development (BSMED), at ng Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC), na naglalayong tumlong sa mga MSMEs na umnlad sa kabila ng COVID-19 pandemic.  

Sa talmpati ni DTI-ROG Undersecretary Blesila Lantayona iginiit niya na ang mga kababaihang entreprenyur ay maituturing na mga piloto ng pag unlad ng ekonomiya mula sa payak nitong pinagmulan sa mga barangay na kung saan makalilikha ng mga trabaho at maka a abot ng mga bagong customers.

Pahayag ni Undersecretary Lantayona “We urge our public officials and partners to strengthen our efforts for women’s economic empowerment. Let us continue to harness the resourcefulness, hard work, and resiliency of our Juanas in the new normal.”  

Samantala hinikayat ni PTTC Executive Director Nelly Dillera ang mga nakibahagi na i-maximize ang 3A Program, “We want your voices to be heard and we want you to learn from our mentors who will share to you not only mind setting but also business skills to start or sustain whatever business you have in mind.”  

Ipinamalas sa nasabing virtual event ang kakayahan ng mga kababaihan upang aktibong makibahagi at maging mga nangunguna sa pagsulong ng ekonomiya ng bansa patungo sa ninanais na “Making Change Work for Women Entrepreneurs and Consumers”.  

Ang nagsilbing mga mentors na gumabay sa mga kababaihang entreprenyur sa nasabing programa ay sina Mr. Dean Pax Lapid, Mr. Jorge Wieneke, Ms. Jenny Wieneke, Mr. Armand Bengco, Ms. Tess Dimaculangan, Mr. Carlo Calimon, Mr. Francis Carlo Lapid, at iba pang Angelpreneurs.  

Bukod sa mga pagtalakay mla sa kanilang mga mentors, Ang National Council of Women Philippines (NCWP) ay magkakaloob rin ng 75 livelihood kits na nagkaka halaga ng Php10,000 para sa 75 na kababaihang entreprenyur sa dlo ng programa.  

Isinalaysay ni Sec. Lopez ang mga hamon na maaring haharapin ng mga entreprenyur sa kabila ng pandemya kabilang ang pormulasyon ng maayos na plano pang negosyo na siyang dapat umanong maging prayoridad.  

“To aspire, to own, and manage a business is a noble aspiration, but it does not end there. One must also have a strong and right foundation, to sustain the business,” ayon kay Lopez.  

“Entrepreneurship is a long process. After the 3A Program, we hope that you will be able to start your business journey; albeit a challenging road ahead, it will surely be a meaningful one.pahayag ni Lopez” . mula sa detalyeng buhat sa DTI PRU. ///Michael Balaguer, +639262261791, konekted@diaryongtagalog.net  

DTI encourages consumers to use plastic alternatives  

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through its Consumer Policy and Advocacy Bureau (CPAB), spearheads the celebration of the World Consumer Rights (WCRD) in the country. The year 2021 marks DTI’s 5th year in joining the global celebration of WCRD every 15th of March.  

The annual commemoration of WCRD aims to raise global awareness on consumer rights and protection. Building on last year’s celebration on being the sustainable consumer, this year’s theme “Tackling Plastic Pollution” highlights the need for collective action and the important role of consumers in curbing plastic pollution.  

The CPAB under the Consumer Protection Group (CPG), in coordination with CI, targets to educate consumers on how they can support and actively participate in tackling plastic pollution and urge them to use plastic alternatives.  

This year’s WCRD focuses on “7R: Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair, and Replace” that encourages consumers to adopt habits that will have a positive impact on the environment including re-evaluating their consumption habits, demanding more sustainable alternatives, extending the lifetime of plastic products and maximizing their value and utilization by reusing them, and disposing plastic waste appropriately by following local recycling guidelines.  

For the WCRD celebration, the CPAB sets up venues for discussion and interaction on the WCRD theme “Tackling Plastic Pollution”. In the Consumer e-Forum on 15 March 2021, the CI was invited to talk about “Breaking the Plastic Wave”, where different measures on how to reduce the flow of plastics will be discussed.  

DENR will also be in the forum to discuss the government’s sustainable actions on plastic pollution. The City Government of Pasig will likewise be present to talk about its program called “A Smart City with a Green Heart” and share their best practices to achieve green development that can withstand climate change.  

In the Consumer Care Webinar Series, topics on waste management, recycling initiatives, and sustainability programs were set for discussion for the month of March 2021. Speakers from the public and private sectors were invited to virtually interact with consumers and guide them to be part in sustainability programs and activities. Consumers may virtually participate via Zoom or the DTI Consumer Care Facebook Page.  

DTI Consumer Protection Group Undersecretary Ruth B. Castelo specifies, “The DTI urges everyone to be more conscious of the products that they intend to purchase and consider its effects on the environment. The Department encourages consumers to do their part in addressing this environmental issue by adopting habits that will have a positive environmental impact. One can help by bringing your own water container to minimize the use of plastic water bottles. You can also help by using the other side of the paper for your draft documents.”  

To know more about WCRD, consumers may send an email to CPAB@dti.gov.ph  or visit the DTI’s Consumer Care social media accounts. For more consumer-relation information, visit the DTI website (www.dti.gov.ph). END  

DTI bamboo equipment to improve farmer livelihood 

Thirty-five farmer-members of Mambuaya Integrated Social Forestry Farmers Association (MAISFFA), Inc. target to increase their income and improve their livelihood with the establishment of bamboo processing hub in their area in Mambuaya, Cagayan de Oro City on March 5, 2021. 

Composed of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Misamis Oriental Provincial Director Almer Masillones and barangay officials of Mambuaya, the group turned over PHP2.4M worth of equipment which include bamboo splitting machine, high speed strip planning machine, glue coating machine, and hot press machine to members of MAISFFA. 

The project was under the Shared Service Facility (SSF) of DTI’s Integrated Natural Resources and Environmental Management – Livelihood Enhancement Support (INREMP-LES) 2. 

Another ceremonial turnover of the same project was held in the afternoon of the same day during the Joint National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and Regional Task Force (RTF)-ELCAC X Meeting with President Rodrigo Roa  

Duterte in University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP).  The  

certificate of turnover was officially handed by DTI Assistant Secretary Niño Contreras and Northern Mindanao Officer-in-Charge Regional Director Ermedio Abang to Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno  

The turnover of the bamboo processing hub was in line with the government-initiated programs under the poverty reduction, livelihood and employment cluster and with DTI’s mandate to provide continuous assistance to priority areas and beneficiaries by bringing its services and programs closer to the indigenous people.