DIGITAL COUPONS. Capitol’s micro-business assistance program will be using digital coupons with quick response (QR) codes that will allow program beneficiaries redeem goods and raw materials for their businesses. Department of Science and Technology scholar and information technology expert Eddie Ybañez (standing) said the digital coupons will have a QR code resembling how PayMaya works to ensure authenticity. (Photo courtesy of Cebu Provincial Capitol PIO)
CEBU CITY – The Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) will mentor budding micro-entrepreneurs who are recipients of the provincial government’s micro-business aid program and those seeking to revive their businesses affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
The commitment was expressed by MCCI president Steven Yu and its past president Stanley Go in a meeting on Tuesday with Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.
The capitol’s program gears to provide livelihood opportunities to displaced workers, such as overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and individuals in the lowest 20-percent income group as certified by the municipal or city social welfare development office.
The provincial government once worked with MCCI in the “Obra Negosyo Eskwela” program in 2011 that honed the entrepreneurial skills of students.
Garcia championed the concept of countryside enterprise business upliftment in partnership with MCCI in 2011.
Obra Negosyo Eskwela encouraged food product developers and manufacturers among university students.
Through the program, participating students came up with innovations of salted black beans (taosio), camote cookies, pickled mixed vegetables, kalamay (glutinous rice flour with muscovado sugar and coconut cream usually held in polished coconut shell), salted fish paste, and coco palm sugar, to name some.
Other products were charcoal briquettes and mud crab fattening agents.
Garcia said the seasoned MCCI entrepreneurs can partner with the Provincial Board and the Office of the Vice Governor in handling the applications and share their knowledge to the program beneficiaries.
They will also guide program recipients and transmit to them their know-how in turning in a high chance for the business to succeed.
The micro-business assistance program mulls providing PHP50,000 to recipients applying for a business reboot, PHP20,000 to those in the manufacturing industry, and PHP10,000 for recipients engaged in trading and services.
Go, who is vice president for sales and marketing at Virginia Foods Inc., recommended a business template, a so-called pro-forma, just like the business model observed by the franchising sector.
He vowed to join the partner-suppliers of capitol to this program.
Garcia disclosed that the Cebu CFI Community Cooperative, with the chairmanship of lawyer Winston Garcia, is also committed to provide operating capital through collateral-free loans.
Earlier, Philippine Veterans Bank also assured collateral-free loans worth PHP300,000 to back the recipients.
Garcia and the MCCI will meet again on Friday for the mentoring guidelines and other concerns. (PNA)
