PINOY SME--BUSINESS TAYO!

SME CARAVANS
THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) had recently conducted a nationwide SME Caravan to improve access of SMEs to government and private sector services particularly in areas where the provision of business development services may be limited. It is likewise meant to increase awareness of SMEs on various business development services provided by the government and private sector entities.

Resource speakers from these institutions who are experts in their respective fields made their services available and were brought to the regions to conduct training and counseling sessions to promote entrepreneurship, improve access to markets, access to finance, and increase SME productivity and efficiency.


The SME Caravan is a project of DTI through its Bureau of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development (BMSMED) in coordination with the DTI regional and provincial offices with the assistance of the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE) and Philippine Franchise Association (PFA). It is also being supported by the local government units (LGUs) of the concerned province/s, national government agencies (NGAs) and some private sector partners.

SME SUMMIT 2011
IN addition to the SME Caravans, the MSMED Council, through the DTI-BMSMED has organised the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Development Week 2011. This year, the highlight of the nationwide celebration will be the SME Summit, held on Thursday, 7 July 2011, at the Philippine Trade Training Center in Pasay City. The SME Summit is expected to serve as a springboard for the SME Development Agenda of the P-Noy administration.

Themed Pinoy SME: Business Tayo! as the rallying call for the SME Development Plan from 2011 to 2016, the SME Summit will showcase lessons from successful entrepreneurs who have been invited as resource speakers and panelists for the plenary sessions. Free entrepreneurship briefing sessions were held, admission was on first come first serve basis. Some of the sessions topics being discussed were How to be an Entrepreneur, Barangay Micro Business Enterprise (BMBE) Law, Globe Business Solutions, Awareness on Product Standards Law, Consumers Rights and Protection, How to Acquire a BFAD Certificate, E-marketing: Settling up a Webstore. How to set up a Laundry Business, Perfume and Cologne Making, Herbal Soap Making, Meat Processing, Basic Beadworks, Managing a Money Changer Shop, Financing and Lending Programs, How to Start a Business, Food Safety, Siopao and Dimsun Making, No Bake Cakes, Polvoron and Pastillas Making, among others.

A session on Empanada and Rolled Pizza making.

TINDAHANG PINOY
A Tindahang Pinoy Brand was also launched, as one of the highlights of the SME Summit of this year's SME Week Celebration. Several products from the regions were on display as part of the event. The Tindahang Pinoy had its beginnings in August 2009 when the Department of trade and Industry (DTI) opened a Product Depot in Metro Manila Showcasing products of the Filipino craftsmanship and creativity. It serves as marketing outlet and at the same time as showroom for MSME and OTOP products. Also, it has become a one-stop-shop operating as a platform for business facilitation, particularly, buyer-supplier transactions, and as consolidation point for exports. At present, it has a network of MSMEs coming from all the regions offering wide range of products such as furniture & home decor, food and beverages, health & wellness, and fashion accessories, among others.

Some of the products display at Tindahang Pinoy: