CAGAYAN VALLEY — Another batch of entrepreneurs in Cagayan Valley will undergo a series of exciting mentoring sessions as the DTI R2, in partnership with the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE) Go Negosyo, officially launched the 8th batch of the Kapatid Mentor ME-Money Market Encounter (KMME-MME) Program on 6 June 2023, composed of 49 mentees from the agri-business sector.

The launch and orientation ceremony was attended by Usec. Blesila A. Lantayona of DTI – Regional Operations Group, Engr. Merly Mirasol Cruz of Go-Negosyo Advisor on MSME Development of the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship, DTI R2 Regional Director Leah Pulido Ocampo, Assistant Regional Director Winston Singun, and the officers and staff of DTI R2, including the Provincial Directors, SMEDD and BDD Chiefs, the Regional and Provincial Program Coordinators, and the 49-select mentees from the region.

RD Leah Pulido Ocampo emphasized the advantages of enrolling in the KMME program, which is like earning a “master’s degree in business management” with free tuition and bonus coaching sessions on crafting business improvement plans. She also urged the mentees to complete the modules and soon be part of the elite group of business managers in the country.

Moreover, Usec. Lantayona said, “Your only investment is that you (mentees) religiously attend all the sessions. Gawin ninyo ang mga assignments, and more importantly, gamitin ninyo ang inyong mga natutunan sa pagpapatakbo ng inyong mga negosyo.”

On the other hand, Engr. Merly Cruz, PCE Advisor on MSME Development, commended the leadership of DTI R2 through RD Ocampo, especially the active participation of the MSMEs in the region. She also encouraged the mentees to finish the sessions and to utilize the learnings for the growth of their businesses, as they will soon become members of the potent network of elite graduates of the KMME.

During the session, the overview of “Go Negosyo,” the KMME briefer, and the implementation plan were comprehensively presented, and the mentees also gave their respective self-introductions and expectations for the program and elected their leader and note-taker per group for the entire session.

In his closing message, Asst. Regional Director Singun urged the mentees to learn from their mentors and coaches and said that their access to mentorship, marketing, and money through the KMME Program may further help their businesses flourish.

To graduate from the program, every mentee must be able to come up with a business improvement plan with the help of coaches to be deployed by PCE-Go Negosyo. The mentees will undergo mentorship sessions with different mentors for all the modules of the program starting on Thursday, June 8, 2023. ♦

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Date of release: 07 June 2024