Manila to develop 4,000 entrepreneurs

Manila plans to develop around 4,000 neighborhood entrepreneurs in the city’s barangays by providing startup capital for poor residents who want to put up their own businesses, Mayor Joseph Estrada said yesterday.

“Instead of giving them dole outs, why not teach them to do business and become successful entrepreneurs? And this is what we are doing: we are teaching and helping people to develop their lives through maximizing their potentials,” he said.

Under the city government’s capital assistance program, the “poorest of the poor” are given seed capital of P2,000 to P5,000 each to put up their own businesses, city social welfare head Dr. Arnold Pangan said.

Many of the beneficiaries start home-based businesses such as eateries, barbershops, beauty parlors, sari-sari stores and similar ventures, he added.

Through lectures and trainings, the beneficiaries are taught the rudiments of operating a business.

Pangan said they intend to provide capital assistance to a total of 4,000 beneficiaries this year, noting that they have helped 500 persons so far.

He said social welfare personnel will regularly monitor the new businesses put up by beneficiaries.

“We can give them more capital if their small-scale businesses are successful,” Pangan said.

The city government is also offering capital assistance to street hawkers in Divisoria and other public markets in Manila to help them improve their economic standing.

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