A total of 55,669 micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have been assisted region wide by Negosyo Centers in 2017. Negosyo Centers in Nueva Ecija had the most number of assisted clients with 14,821 clients served while 12,660 clients were served by Nego Centers in Bulacan. Bataan Negosyo Centers were able to serve 8,904 clients while Pampanga had 8,214 and Tarlac had 5,573. Negosyo Centers in Zambales and Aurora had 2,855 and 2,642 served clients, respectively. The Negosyo Center in Cabanatuan City is ranked 8th nationwide with 9,568 MSMEs assisted in 2017.
To add to the existing 64 Negosyo Centers to serve its MSME clients in the region, the Department of Trade and Industry Regional Office III is set to open 24 new Negosyo Centers in Central Luzon in 2018.
Based on the records of DTI, for 2018, six (6) new Negosyo Centers were planned for opening in Nueva Ecija, five (5) in Zambales, four (4) in Pampanga, four (4) in Tarlac, three (3) in Bulacan and one each in Bataan and Aurora. As of April 30, 2018, eight new centers have already been established in Marilao and Guiguinto in Bulacan, General Tinio and Quezon in Nueva Ecija, Angeles City (MACCII Office) and Floridablanca in Pampanga, Pura in Tarlac and Subic Bay (Harbor Point) in Zambales. The Negosyo Centers provide MSME related services like Business Name registration, BMBE registration assistance, Product Cliniquing, Product Catalogue production, Business Matching, Loan Assistance, Packaging and Labelling assistance and Product Development. In 2017, 35 new Negosyo Centers were established in the region.
The Negosyo Centers were created by virtue of Republic Act No. 10644 or the Go Negosyo Act. The law, which was authored by Senator Bam Aquino, aims to establish at least one Negosyo Center in each local government to help spur inclusive growth and countryside development through the development of the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises sector. The law also strengthened the partnership of the private sector and government agencies to help support the growth of the MSME sector.♦
