DTI OIC focuses on further elevating MSMEs

The officer-in-charge of the Department of Trade and Industry has one thing in mind in temporarily running the department: elevating further the stance of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and continuing the strides made in this endeavor by just-resigned DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual.

“I am very much thankful to Secretary Fred for his support as I take my new role as Acting Secretary of the DTI. We will continue to build programs that will support MSMEs which compose 99.59 percent of our business and also employ around 60 percent of our country’s workforce,” said Undersecretary Cristina Aldeguer-Roque, who was appointed OIC of the DTI, during the turnover ceremony last Friday.

Collaboration with stakeholders

She also highlighted the importance of collaboration with stakeholders to achieve sustainable economic growth and inclusive development.

Before being appointed as DTI acting chief, Roque served as DTI undersecretary for the MSME Development Group.

In that position, she managed the Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development, the Bureau of Marketing Development and Promotions, the OTOP Program Management Office and the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Management Office.

She also oversaw the operations of the Small Business Corporation and the Cooperative Development Authority.

Meanwhile, in his farewell speech, outgoing DTI Secretary Pascual thanked the entire Department for their support during his tenure.

He expressed confidence in Acting Secretary Roque’s effectively leading the Department in its ongoing efforts to drive the country’s robust economic growth and development.

Deepest gratitude

“I extend my deepest gratitude to the entire Department as we worked on programs that complement President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision of a Bagong Pilipinas. I am confident that under the leadership of Acting Secretary Roque, the DTI will continue to push forward programs that will empower businesses and consumers,” said outgoing Secretary Pascual.

The turnover ceremony concluded with a symbolic exchange of the DTI flag, signifying the official transfer of responsibility.

One of the notable projects for MSMEs during Pascual’s term was the Pondo Para sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso (P3) Program, implemented by the Small Business Corporation (SBCorp), the lending arm of the DTI.

The P3 Program has already shelled out P8.16 billion in loans to 154,423 micro-entrepreneurs from July 2022 to May 2024. That represents a substantial increase compared to the total amount of loans released between January 2017 and June 2022.

Meanwhile, in 2023, there were 984,330 registered business names (BN), marking a 5 percent spike versus the previous year.

BN payment collections

Notably, Pascual said that 78 percent of business name transactions and 80 percent of BN payment collections were conducted online through the Business Name Registration System Next Generation (BNRS Next Gen).

Furthermore, the DTI’s Negosyo Centers played a crucial role in assisting MSMEs, providing various technical services such as business registration assistance, advisory services, trade promotion, and financing facilitation. In 2023, these centers assisted 522,535 MSMEs and 904,033 clients.

The BMBE Online system, launched in October 2022, has streamlined the registration process for Barangay Micro Business Enterprises (BMBEs).

In 2023, 73,249 BMBE registrations were processed, and in the first semester of 2024, the number reached 48,242.

Also, Pascual reported that the DTI has accelerated the digitalization of MSMEs by onboarding 47,591 MSMEs onto e-commerce platforms from January to May 2024.

The OPLAN TLC Program, in partnership with HAPINOY, has provided digital training and capacity building to 16,000 MSMEs nationwide in 2023.

The program aims to enhance MSMEs’ digital skills and facilitate their integration into the digital economy.