5,021 avail DTI 6 Entrepreneurship Training
Latest data from the Department of Trade and Industry in the region shows 5,021 beneficiaries have availed the 112 Entrepreneurship Training conducted from January 27 to March 20, 2009 in the Provincial Offices of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental.
Capiz has the most number of trainings conducted with 39 and 2,134 beneficiaries followed by Antique with 22 trainings and 822 beneficiaries. Negros Occidental conducted only 10 trainings but their beneficiaries reached 1,041.
The free entrepreneurship training under the DTI’s Comprehensive Livelihood Emergency Employment Program (DTI-CLEEP), is conducted every Tuesday 8:30AM to 11:30AM in all the provincial offices. Groups or Associations including the Local Government Units who want to avail of the training may contact the nearest DTI office in their area. LGUs may conduct the training in their own municipalities.
Of the 5,021 beneficiaries who have availed of the training, mostly are graduating students, ambulant vendors, employed workers but want to venture into business, unemployed, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) who want to be capacitated, OFWs, housewives, farmers, persons with disability, fisher-folks, and sugar workers, among others.
Data revealed that 145 beneficiaries are now going into business generating more than P1.25 million investments and creating 183 jobs. The nature of business chosen were mostly food processing, beauty and detergent soap making, trading, processed meat, bakeshop, operation of a small eatery or “carinderia”, household products, handicrafts, pharmaceuticals, junkshop, and sari-sari store. The numbers of those who are going into business are expected to increase in the coming months as the DTI is bent on helping the economy grow by creating jobs in the countryside.
To strengthen the DTI-CLEEP in the region, a Roadshow on Entrepreneurship which include discussion on Business Management and Operation, Business Options and Opportunities, and Livelihood Skills Training, earlier identified by the beneficiaries of the Entrepreneurship training, will be conducted by the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) and the Cottage Industry Technology Center (CITC). Schedules are: March 23 – Bacolod City (Beadwork and Meat Processing); March 24- Iloilo City (Meat Processing/Siomai Making and Beadworks); March 25- Guimaras (Flower Arrangement and Meat Processing); March 27- Antique (Beadworks and Cleaning and Laundry Aids); March 30- Capiz (Basic Baking and Beadworks); and March 31- Aklan (Beadworks and Holiday Goodies).
The training support from the PTTC and the CITC are expected to create more jobs and income generating projects for the marginalized sectors especially in the countryside. (Ruby M. Melliza/DTI-6)