Davao Region has 232 Mentor ME grads

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Davao Region takes pride in the 232 graduates it has produced under its Kapatid Mentor ME (KMME) program which started last October 7, 2016.

The agency revealed that the initiative which deems to develop more successful micro entrepreneurs was able to record 20 graduates in 2016 and 212 this year.

For 2016, all 20 MSMEs who graduated were from Davao City. Meanwhile, for 2017, 42 were from Davao City, 44 from Davao del Sur, 19 from Davao Occidental, 40 from Davao del Norte, 20 from Compostela Valley and 47 from Davao Oriental .

The 10-week program of the KMME had weekly modules on marketing, financial management, human resource management, and operations management, among others. These graduates were provided with high calibre mentors who shared their time, knowledge, skills, expertise and tips. On the 10th week, the mentees presented their Business Improvement Plan (BIP), incorporating the learning from the lectures and mentoring sessions in front of a panel composed of marketing/operations management mentors and micro financing institution (MFI) representatives who can possibly assist them on their financing needs.

DTI and the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE) – Go Negosyo conceptualized the KMME program to serve as the entrepreneurs’ guide to become a globally competitive enterprise, this being one of the strategies of the government to provide jobs to Filipinos and boost economic growth focusing on the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as they soar to greater heights.

DTI-Davao Regional Director Maria Belenda Q. Ambi, during her inspirational talk in Mati City recently during the KMME graduation in the province, expressed her appreciation for the mentees who religiously attended the 10-week program.

“This only shows that MSMEs nowadays are inspired to improve their productivity, be involved in value-adding activities and be of help to other people by creating job opportunities and become engine of growth,” Ambi said.

For 2018, DTI, through its field offices in the five provinces and one chartered city in Davao Region, will still be conducting the KMME. Thus, MSMEs who are interested to avail of the mentoring sessions may contact DTI-Provincial Office nearest them.