MENTOR ME IS HERE. Twenty new mentees join the Kapatid Mentor ME program of DTI in Tarlac. DTI RD Judith Angeles (left) and mentor Carlo Calimon join the 3rd batch of KMME mentees in the province.

The participants of the Kapatid Mentor Micro Enterprises (KMME) program and other Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) from Tarlac who attended the launching of the third run of the KMME program were reminded by the Department of Trade and Industry to maximize the availment of the services of the agency. 

The launching of the KMME in Tarlac was held at the Dampa Sa Tarlac Function hall on April 12, 2018. It was attended by more than 100 participants including the 20 mentees from the food and non-food sector of the province who were chosen to attend the 12-module KMME program to level up the knowledge, mindset and skills of the MSMEs for them to compete in the market. Armando Bartolome and Carlo Calimon, veteran mentors from the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship, conducted the first two modules during the launch. They also held cliniquing and business consultations with the 20 Tarlac mentees.

During the launching, DTI-3 Regional Director Judith P. Agneles outlined the different assistance and services of the agency aside from the KMME program. She emphasized that the government intends to scale up the MSME sector by providing them a holistic set of services that will enable them to grow and participate not only in the local but also in the global market. She also reminded MSMEs from Tarlac to avail of the 22 Shared Service Facilities which DTI established in the province. The SSF are equipment to help increase the productivity of MSMEs through a sharing scheme with other MSMEs. She also particularly asked the participants to look into availing the services of other SSFs which could help upgrade their production – the Fabrication Laboratory at the Philippine Science High School Campus in Clark Freeport and at the Don Honorio Ventura State University in Bacolor, Pampanga. Both Fablabs have the capacity to produce computer designed three-dimensional prototypes of products. 

Tarlac Provincial Enterprise Office Head Marvi Dela Cruz, who represented the Provincial Government of Tarlac, commended DTI for its support to the MSMEs of the province through the KMME and other assistance in product development, SSF facilities, and market exposure. In particular, she cited the assistance of DTI in bringing Tarlac products in the Japan market through participation in international trade fairs.♦