The Quezon City goverment on Thursday launched the Vendor Business School aimed at helping market vendor to be responsible enterpreneurs.

Some 140 market vendors became the first batch for the VBS which is collaboration with the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research Resilient Cities Project.

Mayor Joy Belmonte proudly revealed that Quezon City and Nairobi of Kenya are the only countries that implement this program.

Market Development and Administration Department Officer-in-Charge Ma. Margarita Santos

Margie Santos, on the other hand said part of the VBS is the Resilient Cities Project for Sustainable Food Systems which was signed by Mayor Belmonte and CGIAR Resilient Cities led by Dr. Simon Heck.

CGIAR is an international research group whose objective is to strengthen the flow of food systems in big cities of the world like Quezon City for food security.

VBS on the other hand aimed at giving the vendors skills of entrepreneurship, food safety, market technology, how to cope with climate change and nutritional informations for ten-weeks of weekly training workshops and five-months coaching and mentoring.

“Bukod sa digital improvements katulad ng Market One Stop Shop at PalengQR programs na nagpapaganda sa pamamalakad sa mga palengke, layunin din ng MDAD sa pamamagitan ng VBS na maiangat ang antas ng pagnenegosyo ng mga vendor o tindero at tindera,” Santos who is also the Business Permits and Licensing Department Head said.

She added that facilitators of this program has undergone rigid training from CGIAR that were selected from the MDAD, Small Business Cooperative Development and Promotions Office, and Quezon City Food Security Task Force secretariat to become members of a pilot team.

“Ang Vendor Business School ay nagbibigay halaga sa estado at kapakanan ng ating mga market vendors na may mahalagang papel na ginagampanan sa pagsasaayos ng ating public markets at pagdaloy ng pagkain sa ating lungsod. Layunin din ng VBS na mapalago ang kanilang mga negosyo, at makibahagi sila sa pangmatagalang layunin ng Quezon City na makamit ang food security,” Belmonte told the Daily Tribune.

She added that the vendors training, coaching and mentoring will start this month and would end in July.

One of the incentive of the program once the vendors graduated the VBS Program is their inclusion to the PangkabuhayangQC Program under the SBCDPO where a small business grant will be handed to them ranging from P10,000 to P20,000 as added capital.

VBS was an offshoot of the city's membership to Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, a group of cities pushing for better food systems in the world and end hunger.

VBS will also form part of the GrowQC Food Security program of Mayor Belmonte.

Vice Mayor Gian Sotto also graced the launching along with,City Administrator Mike Alimurung, Nonong Velasco who both Co-Chaired the QC Food Security Task Force, Mona Yap, Head, Small Business Cooperatives Development and Promotions Office, Andrea Villaroman, Head, Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Department, Tina Perez, Head, Joy of Urban Farming, mga miyembro ng Quezon City Food Security at sina Arma Bertuso, CGIAR Resilient Cities Focal Person-Philippines.