The Department of Trade and Industry in Bataan headed by their provincial director Nelin Cabahug on Thursday reported almost P22 million worth of domestic sales from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the first semester of this year.
DTI’s latest accomplishments were formally discussed through their traditional “Kapihan sa DTI-Bataan” held at the Crown Royale Hotel in this component city.
For their SME (small, medium enterprises) Roving Academy (SMERA), a total of 968 persons benefitted from their business trainings on how to start a small business; packaging and labeling seminars; skills trainings; costing and pricing seminars, etc.
Cabahug also reported that new businesses in the province continue to flourish with 1,716 new business registrations mostly on trading (894), services (797), manufacturing (23) and agricultural-based businesses (2). There were also 604 renewals of business registrations recorded.
“These new businesses and renewals generated at least 3,588 employment opportunities amounting to P419,820,000 worth of investments,” Cabahug reported.
A recent “Diskwento Caravan” conducted in Dinalupihan town generated P1.178 million in sales from 74 exhibitors.
DTI-Bataan also launched 8 shared services facilities in the towns of Mariveles, Hermosa, Orani and Abucay with 144 beneficiaries. These include businesses on food processing (cashew processing, breads and pastries, veggie noodle making) and home furnishing (candle making, broom making).
“We have also assisted 485 existing and 189 new SMEs in terms of entrepreneurial training /seminars, organization development, product development, packaging, and labelling designs, food safety, trade promotion, market matching business name registration and other business consultancies,” Cabahug added.
The Hermosa Negosyo Center was also established last March 15, 2016 near the municipal building of Hermosa town.
DTI also conducted saturation drives in the public markets of Balanga City, Orion, Morong, Samal, and Abucay. Sixty one firms were also monitored under trade fair laws while 81 products standards monitoring on hardwares and stores.
“We also have projects for PWDs (persons with disabilities) wherein we conducted six consumer advocacy seminars for them,” Cabahug stressed.
The said agency also recorded 107 repair shops accreditations both new and renewal of establishments.
Cabahug also tackled 63 consumer complaints they received and resolved all of it within 15 days. Most of the complaints were about defective gadgets such as cellphones, tablets and laptops; electronic products like refrigerators and air conditioning units. –Mhike R. Cigaral