A total of 122 microenterprise owners from all over Davao Region have already graduated from the Kapatid Mentor ME of the Department of Trade and Industry’s mentorship program.
 
The Kapatid Mentor ME (KMME) program, which is being implemented in partnership with the private sector-led Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE), has produced another batch of graduates who completed the 10 modules last June and July 2018.
     
These mentees have been operating their respective businesses for at least a year in order to qualify for the program. By being part of KMME, they attended weekly mentoring sessions since the opening of the program’s 2018 edition in the region in March 2018. Most of this batch’s mentees are engaged in food processing, manufacturing and service sectors.
 
Amid this latest development, DTI-Davao Regional Director Maria Belenda Q. Ambi expressed her admiration to the new batch of graduates who really committed and dedicated themselves to learn under the program and to scale up.
 
“I admire these micro entrepreneurs’ enthusiasm and dedication to continuously improve. I salute them for taking steps to level up their businesses and in embracing innovation amidst the challenges posed by the unending competition,” she said.
 
Meanwhile, Trade Assistant Secretary Blesila A. Lantayona said during the graduation of Davao del Norte mentees that because of the learning the MSMEs get from the KMME program, more banking and financing institutions have already placed their confidence on small businesses group.
 
She revealed that there was already an agreement between DTI and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) to help MSMEs with their financing needs.
 
Lantayona likewise reiterated the 7Ms for a shared prosperity and inclusive growth, to include mindset, mastery, mentoring, markets, money, machines and models.
 
On the other hand, PCE adviser Engr. Merly M. Cruz talked during the Davao City graduation about the business opportunities for MSMEs in the supply chain of large enterprises, while focusing on Kapatid Mentor ME (KMME) Program phases and modules.
 
She ended her talk with Pilipinas Angat Lahat, emphasizing on moving forward to integrate and accelerate all government and private sector programs and initiatives geared towards poverty alleviation and job generation through MSME development.♦
 
Date of release: 14 August 2018