DTI Secretary opens Negosyo Konsyumer Atbp, urges entrepreneurship
The newly appointed secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry Ramon Lopez formally opened the Negosyo Konsyumer At Iba Pa event at the Fontana Convention Center, Clark Freeport on July 13, 2016. Councilor Alfie Bonifacio of Angeles City welcomed the participants and guests while Secretary Lopez served as the keynote speaker for the opening program.
In his message to more than 1,000 participants of the NKATBP, Lopez urged the cooperation of different stakeholders in developing good models of entrepreneurship for start-ups. He also emphasized the need to change the mindset of Filipinos from merely putting up a business to deliberately developing a good business plan to its fruition. He cited the different programs of the government, particularly DTI, in helping capacitate small entrepreneurs through mentoring, shared service facilities, access to finance and market access. He also mentioned that the agency is negotiating with large malls and supermarkets to enable the entry of products made by micro small and medium enterprises. Lopez further noted that one of the foci of the new administration is inclusive growth, which he says can be addressed through the development of viable enterprises.
Regional Director Judith Angeles gave an overview of the three day event dubbed “Negosyo Konsyumer At Iba Pa”. The event, she explained, is a showcase of the different services of DTI that aims to enable business and empower consumers. The three-day event also includes capability building sessions for MSMEs in the region on topics like E-Commerce, Catapulting Business in the Global Market, Food Products Safety, Product Standars, Intellectual Property and Investment Briefing.
The opening ceremony also included the recognition of DTI-3’s partners and collaborators in the implementation of its programs, turnover of Certificates of Shared Service Facilities (SSF), the awarding of high school students who won in the Best Feature story, and a media conference with key DTI officials led by Assistant Secretary Blesila A. Lantayona. The first day of the event was capped by the opening of the Provincial Negosyo Center at Salilungan Pasalubong Center in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga.
