LGUs urged to nurture entrepreneurship culture

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has urged LGU leaders to nurture an entrepreneurship culture in their respective localities.

In his recent visit to Cebu, DTI chief Ramon Lopez called the attention of the new LGU executives to create a conducive environment for entrepreneurship for their constituents and eventually form a community of entrepreneurs within a barangay or town.

Lopez was one of the key speakers during the Cebu Business Month (CBM 2019) Entrepreneurship Summit which opened Thursday at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino.

This is to boost the government’s bid to promote entrepreneurship from the grassroots, and participation of the LGU is vital in encouraging people to enter into business.

“You don’t have to finish graduate school to be successful,” Lopez said explaining that success in entrepreneurship lies on one’s willingness to learn the right tools and basic practice of a successful entrepreneur.

He reminded LGU leaders that the DTI, through its provincial and regional offices, are open to mentor or guide those who may want to enter entrepreneurship regardless of personal background.

He said LGUs, through their programs that promote entrepreneurship, will help change the cultural mindset that success in entrepreneurship only favors those who have money and good educational background.

DTI recently launched the Barangay Negosyo Center to identify the right support for a certain community, which industry has the potential at the same time discover local products that have high commercial prospects.

Meanwhile, in Central Visayas, DTI-7 regional director Asteria Caberte announced that the agency is set to launch the Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay (NSB) initiative immediately after the new set of LGUs officials will be officially inducted into office.

DTI’s NSB has been conducted in several barangays around the country. Its services include information campaign on the Go Negosyo Act, Business Name Law, financial literacy and Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso (P3).

NSB also offers entrepreneurship seminar, bookkeeping/accounting for non-accountants, product development and related skills training, among others.

According to Caberte, DTI-7 will introduce this program to barangays in the 4th and 5th class municipalities.

“We are going to handhold the barrio folks in teaching them how to be entrepreneurs,” added Caberte.

DTI-7 shall identify the pilot barangays in Central Visayas in the next few days.