The Phillippines’ Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recently opened a Small and Medium Enterprise Development Center in General Santos City. In accordance with its official responsibility to lead the development and regulation of all businesses, especially small and medium enterprises (p19), DTI not only opened the center, but also trained the initial four leaders to facilitate the center. The center will also be supported, both locally and nationally, by the Filipino network of Small and Medium Enterprise Development (SMED) Councils. The national SMED Council coordinates small and medium enterprise (SME) activities to help facilitate policy and program development. Regional and local SMED centers are created to be more sector specific (p 120).
In General Santos City, DTI aims to use the SMED Center to support Yaman Gensen, One Town One Product (OTOP) and the Area Productivity Council. Incepted in 2003, YAMAN Gensan is a month long celebration of local business to encourage micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Activities include fairs, exhibits, training, seminars and conferences. OTOP Philippines is a national program of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that aims to use local officials to assist micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in identifying, developing and promoting their local products. Organized regionally, the OTOP program of Region 12 (the region of General Santos City) was recognized as being the financially strongest regional OTOP, in 2006. The Area Productivity Council was formed in 2000 by DTI to resolve issues affecting exports at the local level (p 9).
By Sarah Knapp, Research Assistant
Additional Resources:
Department of Trade and Industry: SME Agenda
“Harnessing Traditional Knowledge for Development and Trade: The Bicol (Phils.) Experience,” by Jocelyn L.B. Blanco: November 2000.
Similar Posts:
- MICROFINANCE EVENT: Social Enterprise Conference; October 27, 2023; New York City, USA
- MICROFINANCE EVENT: Invest in Africa Summit; April 16-17, 2024; the Hague, the Netherlands
- MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: EIB Lending $22m to Sahanala to Boost Sustainable Fisheries, Agricultural Value Chains, Mechanization of Farms in Madagascar
- MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: First Consult, Mastercard Foundation, Seek to Create 400k Jobs in Ethiopia via Access to Finance, Wraparound Support for MSMEs, Entrepreneurs
- MICROFINANCE EVENT: 11th African Islamic Finance Summit; December 10-12, 2023; Hargeisa, Somaliland
