Concepcion to boost ties with big business groups

GO Negosyo will intensify its partnerships with big business groups to align with the government’s push to drive development through micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), its founder Jose Maria “Joey” Concepcion 3rd said on Thursday.

“The MSME sector is one of the platforms being pushed aggressively as a driver for the country’s growth, and as we roll out more mentoring of the MSMEs, we will need mentors coming from the respected business groups,” Concepcion said after meeting with the heads of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) chapters in the National Capital Region (NCR) and an official from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Leading the group were PCCI National Chairman George Barcelon, PCCI National President Nina Mangio, PCCI NCR Area Vice President Hernando Delizo, and PCCI NCR immediate past vice president Tess Ngan Tian.

Also present at the meeting was Trade Undersecretary Cristina Roque, head of the newly formed Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Group.

Roque said that if the country can uplift only 10 percent of MSMEs, “it will uplift the economy and this will be the success of the country.”

Members of top business organizations such as the PCCI, the Philippine Franchise Association, the Philippine Retailers Association, the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and many more form the pool of volunteers who mentor small and aspiring entrepreneurs during the various free public entrepreneurship mentoring events held regularly by Go Negosyo.

“Mentoring is helping MSMEs; our members see this whenever they attend the events, and we feel proud that we have a platform to help them,” Mangio said.

Go Negosyo plans to help at least 200,000 MSMEs by 2028 by giving them access to the three M’s of entrepreneurship — money (capital), markets and mentoring — through its own programs, as well as in partnership with the government and other members of the private sector.

The programs include public entrepreneurship mentoring events, structured learning courses, online seminars, national summits, and programs focused on youth, women, overseas Filipino workers, tourism and digital technology.

It also has programs held in cooperation with outreach programs of the government, such as its Youth preneur and agri-education projects with the Department of Education, and its entrepreneurship mentoring during first lady Marie Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos’ LAB for All caravans.

Concepcion said the meeting with PCCI became an opportunity to align with the DTI and the private sector’s efforts to scale up MSMEs.

During the meeting, the PCCI officers in attendance also brought to Roque’s attention the opportunities presented by the tourism sector, the trillion-dollar potentials and challenges of the country’s halal industry, and the need for industry data monitoring and evaluation to aid mapping and impact analysis, especially for the MSME sector.

Roque pledged smooth coordination and cooperation with crucial agencies in her charge, such as the Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development and Small Business Corp.

The DTI official also thanked Concepcion and the PCCI heads for consistently pushing for the development of the MSME sector.

Aside from contributing 45 percent to the gross domestic product, MSMEs also provide employment to 85 percent of the country’s workforce.