TRADE Secretary Cristina Roque has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to make business support programs more visible, accessible and responsive to the needs of Filipino entrepreneurs.
Speaking at the Kapihan with MSMEs on Monday, Roque said that government assistance for micro, small and medium enterprises included entrepreneurship training and mentoring and also financing, technology upgrading, market development and export promotion.
"We already have many programs to support our MSMEs. Our challenge now is making sure every entrepreneur knows where to find them, understands how to access them and can use them to grow their businesses,” she said.
MSMEs make up 99.5 percent of all enterprises in the country.
The discussions at the Kapihan were based on the six strategic goals of the Philippine MSME Development Plan 2023–2028, covering knowledge and skills development, technology and innovation, access to finance, MSME ecosystem development, domestic market expansion and global market opportunities.
Additional sessions focused on business digitalization and digital financial tools to help entrepreneurs adapt to an increasingly digital economy.
Roque also encouraged entrepreneurs to maximize the DTI MSME Hub as a one-stop platform for information, business development services and government assistance.
The MSME hub serves as a venue where entrepreneurs can connect with DTI programs and partner agencies, reinforcing the department’s goal of bringing government services closer to MSMEs.
Designed as an interactive dialogue rather than a traditional government briefing, the Kapihan gave the 30 participating entrepreneurs the opportunity to engage directly with government agencies and raise questions based on their own experiences.
