BALANGA CITY — A total of 128 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Bataan benefitted from the Livelihood Seeding Program-Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
DTI Provincial Director Nelin Cabahug said the program is intended to help businesses recover from the crisis brought about by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic by awarding beneficiaries with livelihood starter kits.
“Our main objective is to develop micro entrepreneurs in the barangay level. We’ve identified 16 barangays from different towns and the lone city here in Bataan where we launched the program from June to July,” she stressed.
Various tools or equipment worth about PhP5,000 per kit were provided to each beneficiary for them to use with their existing businesses such as convenience stores, fish production, other food and non-food products, among others.
Cabahug explained that the Barangay Development Councils endorsed to them residents adversely affected by the pandemic to be qualified for the program.
Moreover, local chief executives also committed support to the chosen beneficiaries within their areas.
The local government of Balanga, Samal and Orion pledged PhP5,000 financial assistance as additional working capital for each beneficiary, while the municipal government of Mariveles will shoulder business name registration fees of the entrepreneurs.
Cherryl Navarro, one of the beneficiaries from Barangay Diwa in Pilar, said she received an electric oven and other tools to be used for her pizza and waffle business.
“I would like to thank DTI for the Serbisyo Negosyo sa Barangay and our barangay officials for endorsing me for this program. This would be a big help for me since I’m a single parent. I hope that with these, the small business I chose would expand,” she said in an interview.
DTI launched the livelihood program in 16 barangays in Bataan, namely in the towns, of Samal, Pilar, Orion, Mariveles, Hermosa, Orani, and in the lone city of Balanga, wherein there were eight beneficiaries per barangay.
Prior to this, DTI also launched the program last year in barangays Gugo, Palili and Imelda in Samal town.