Laguna, Philippines—Aimed to equip micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with the tools needed to thrive in a competitive market, the Department of Trade and Industry’s Laguna Provincial Office (DTI Laguna) held a seminar titled "DTI Programs and Services, 5S and Business Licensing cum Consumer Education.”

In collaboration with the CARD-MRI Development Institute, Inc. (CMDI), the activity is part of the DTI’s sustained effort to foster economic growth and empower MSMEs in the region.     

The event featured comprehensive discussions on the DTI’s various programs, with a particular focus on the 5S of good housekeeping and business licensing and essential aspects of consumer education crucial for understanding consumer rights and responsibilities.

Attended by 34 aspiring and current MSMEs, the participants actively engaged in the discussion, sharing their experiences and seeking guidance on specific challenges they face in their businesses.

The seminar’s success underscores the importance of continued collaboration between government agencies and institutions. The DTI Laguna, through its Negosyo Centers, remains committed to organizing similar events that directly address the needs of the local business community.

As part of the Department’s goal to support and sustain MSME development, the DTI is committed to assist local entrepreneurs in providing resources, mentorship, and funding necessary for their businesses to thrive and contribute to the local economy.

Reiterating its commitment, the DTI Laguna together with its partners, will continue to support the growth of MSMEs through providing valuable insights, practical guidance, and tools to help them adapt in the evolving business landscape. ♦

Date of release: 30 August 2024

Calamba City, Laguna—In a collaborative effort to support local skills development and entrepreneurship, the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Laguna Provincial Office—together with the Calamba Manpower Development Center, the Department of Labor and Employment, and the Cooperatives and Livelihood Development Office of the City Government of Calamba—held a livelihood seminar program last 16 September 2024.

Attended by 238 participants, including trainees and graduates from various technical courses such as Bread and Pastry Production, Food and Beverage Services, Culinary Arts, Dressmaking, Welding, and Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) Servicing; the seminar offered insights on business opportunities and practical advice on starting and sustaining a business

The event, titled the “Livelihood Orientation Program,” aimed to equip aspiring entrepreneurs with the essential tools to turn their skills and passions into viable businesses.

Negosyo Center Business Counselors led key discussions during the seminar. Mr. Rafael Yuan P. Gatdula from Pagsanjan emphasized the potential of transforming personal passions into income-generating ventures, while Mr. Syruz A. Reyes of Cabuyao City encouraged attendees to develop an entrepreneurial mindset, stressing the qualities necessary to thrive in business.

Consumer education, another vital component of the seminar, was covered by Mr. Dharrel A. Delos Reyes of Victoria, who discussed the rights and responsibilities of consumers in today’s economy. The DTI’s various support programs and services were introduced by Ms. Dianne M. Piamonte of Calauan, providing attendees with resources to help them launch their businesses. Ms. Alma R. Arenal of Calamba City complemented this by outlining the step-by-step process of registering and establishing a business, along with the necessary permits and requirements.

Additional insights were shared by Ms. Teresa Carreon from the Cooperatives and Livelihood Development Office, who highlighted further livelihood programs, while DOLE Livelihood Development Specialist Ms. Carla Cabiles discussed the DOLE’s available programs to support budding entrepreneurs. ♦

Date of release: 25 September 2024

The Department of Trade and Industry – Laguna Provincial Office (DTI-Laguna), aside from other government agencies such as the Department of Agriculture CALABARZON (DA CALABARZON) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), continue to provide assistance to our local farmers not just to level up their products but also to sustain their growing business operation.

One of our local farmers who benefitted from these various interventions is the Luisiana Cacao Growers Producers Cooperative from Luisiana, Laguna.

Where it all started

From November 2012 to April 2013, Mr. Pedrito Mergilla, the present Chairman of Luisiana Cacao Growers Producers Cooperative, together with his colleagues attended the Farmers Field School for cacao farmers conducted by DA CALABARZON. After their participation in the aforesaid program, they were granted with 50 grafted cacao seedlings and were given a number of interventions from cultivation to growing processes.

On August 13, 2014, the group was registered as an association named Luisiana Cacao Growers Association. At the start, they had a struggle in selling the cacao pods since there was no available market for these raw fruits. Moreover, they hired someone to conduct a coaching session on the step-by-step processes — from fermenting, to roasting, to winnowing of beans — as they had no further knowledge on the processing of cacao beans. What they did back then was they took the processed beans outside of their area for grinding and then manually molded these at home, as they had no machines and equipment to help them minimize time and help them work on this more efficiently. They kept on processing at the area in the Luisiana Municipal Hall where they started managing their cacao bean processing to produce tablea.

Assistance from Government and Other Agencies

In 2016, they received roaster and winnowing machines and grinder from DA CALABARZON that greatly help them improve their operations. On May 22, 2018, with the help of the Municipal Agriculture’s Office, the former association was registered as a cooperative. This became a gateway for them to be acknowledged by other agencies that later on provided them with other assistance and support. With an initial accumulated capital of Php218,000.00 from its 50 members, Luisiana Cacao Growers Producers Cooperative was established.

In 2018, the Philippine Rural Development Project granted them with the provision of two buildings, machineries, and equipment including vacuum sealer, chiller, other utensils, and molder. The implementation of building construction was conducted in 2020 and the physical turnover was held in 2022. Alongside this project was the construction of the Cooperative’s physical store located at Rizal Park, Luisiana, Laguna, which costed approximately Php148,000.00 from its fund. They started the operations in the same year wherein they offered other pasalubong products and their own manufactured tablea. However, as the demand escalated, the local harvest of pods was not enough to cover the needs of production. Therefore, they did scout and they looked for suppliers of dried beans outside their vicinity.

In 2022, the Cooperative received more than what they had expected. DOST provided a milling machine and the Department of Agriculture, under the High Value Crops Development Program, awarded them an Isuzu Traviz transport van. In addition to this, they were granted Php250,000.00 by the Cooperative Development Authority which made them acquire additional equipment such as butter separator and a computer set with printer.

Another assistance that they received was capacity building seminar and compliance training facilitated by DTI-Laguna, including Food Safety Seminar and labeling and packaging consultations. In the same year, they became one of the beneficiaries of DTI-Laguna’s Coconut Farmers Industry Development Program which primarily provided them with product development and market matching assistance. Furthermore, their active participation in trade fairs initiated by different government agencies including DTI-Laguna, DOST, Department of Agriculture, and private organization like SM Foundation served as an effective marketing and promotion.

How it is going

Currently, the Cooperative has 63 members wherein working officers receive daily wages and allowance during scheduled meetings. For daily store operations, an assigned member has to manage the selling and inventory of products and is being assisted by their hired General Manager who focuses on business transactions and overall management of the Cooperative. They sell the 120 g pack of chocolate tablea for Php130.00 (retail price) and presently developing a butter chocolate with a kick of strong and dark flavor. Also, their application for License to Operate under the Food and Drug Administration is being processed with the assistance of Philippine Rural Development Project.

There is also an ongoing research and development of cacao-bean-based products that was initiated by Chemical Engineer Students from De La Salle University. These products include body scrub, energy ball, bath soap, and choco bibingka. This project aims to provide the Cooperative innovative ways to create new products that they can offer to the general public.

Furthermore, under the INSPIRE Program (Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion), the Cooperative received a grant of Php10,000,000 worth of project for hog raising. It is currently under construction and an ocular visitation and inspection is to be scheduled thereafter.

The Cooperative’s future plans involve implementing a KADIWA Rolling Store wherein they plan to buy crops or local harvested fruits and vegetables at a higher price and sell them to the public at a price lower than its market price. Moreover, they plan to conduct cacao farming learning sessions at their site. They will equip the members with necessary set of skills through National Training and Trainers Methodology by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and acquired accreditation from Agricultural Training Institute.

These initiatives will provide them more opportunities to grow and share their advocacy to other locals. “Kapit lang, maging makatotohanan ang plano at maayos na pakikipagkapuwa-tao,” this is Pedrito’s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs. He emphasized that what needs to continue has to continue. Also, he expressed sincerest gratitude to all National Government Agencies and Non-Government Organizations who provided assistance and unwavering support to Luisiana Cacao Growers Producers Cooperative.

Date of Release: 09 May 2024

“Small businesses are the heartbeat of your neighborhood, the spine of your local economy, and spirit of your town.” —Anonymous

In the Philippines, small neighborhood convenience shops called Sari-Sari stores are far more common than supermarkets and large retailers across the country. They are usually operated from home by a family as a source of livelihood and offer everyday necessities to the local community.

Mr. Zosimo Legaspi Taganas, fifty-eight (58) years old, is the owner of the Zoseng Store located in Barangay Kayquit III, Indang, Cavite. He is married and has one daughter.

Mr. Taganas started his small business when he was laid off from his electronics work in Laguna due to the global financial crisis in 2008. Turning challenges into opportunities, he persisted in his entrepreneurial pursuits. He used his retirement pay to start their small sari-sari store in 2009 with the help of his wife, Darren. Their store was just made out of bamboo. Despite the store being their primary source of income, they found it increasingly challenging to make a decent profit because of fierce competition and limited capital to invest in inventory and store improvements.

By March 2020, the country had undergone strict lockdowns due to COVID-19. Mr. Taganas was one of those small business owners who was heavily affected by the pandemic. The fast spread of the virus in the country caused everyone to stay at home, limiting their income. Mr. Taganas was worried that they might be heavily affected if the pandemic lasted too long. He really relies on his store to help fund the education of his daughter, Patricia, who was a college student at the time.

As the year passed and the impact of the pandemic continued to linger, livelihood programs were initiated to support businesses severely affected. One of these is the Department of Trade and Industry’s Livelihood Seeding Program – Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay (LSP-NSB), which aims to provide financial assistance, resources, and guidance to help those businesses recover and rebuild during these challenging times. From this, he received a sari-sari store package worth Php8,000.00 on July 15, 2021.

Since Mr. Taganas received assistance from DTI Negosyo Center, his store has become fully operational, providing a good source of income for their family. According to him, his store has expanded the selection of products that he sells to his neighbors. Although there is competition because of the presence of several stores near their area, he still thinks that their sari-sari store will remain pertinent as long as they have products to offer to target consumers.

With the increased income generated from their growing business, they made strategic investments. They purchased an electronic bike and bukyo, which are registered with the Kayquit Indang Tricycle Drivers Association (KITODA), enhancing their service and expanding their reach within the community. They also turned their attention to home improvement, renovating their residence to provide a better living environment for their family. Most importantly, their daughter finished her college degree and is now a Certified Public Accountant.

Today, ZOSENG STORE stands as a testament to the success of the LSP-NSB Program of the Department of Trade and Industry, showcasing the transformative power of the government combined with the strong spirit of Filipino entrepreneurs.

With 14 years of operation, Mr. Taganas is a reflection of a resilient and passionate entrepreneur, and the continuing success of his business serves as a motivation for DTI Negosyo Center Indang to continue its vision towards MSME development. ♦

Date of Release: 4 December 2023