HELPING SMALL BIZ. Micro, small, and medium enterprises in Baguio City have been allowed to use the Igorot Park in Burnham Park from December 1 to 24 to display and sell their products during the Christmas season. The activity is part of the initiative to help the small entrepreneurs rebound from the economic losses due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. (PNA photo by Liza T. Agoot)
BAGUIO CITY – The city government has allowed the use of the Igorot Park within the Burnham Park reservation to be used by local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as a selling area for their products for the holiday season.
Among the items on display for sale until December 24 are handcrafted materials, women's fabric and apparel, processed food, and other items manufactured and processed by MSMEs who were greatly impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan, in a phone interview on Monday, said a resolution was approved by the city council which allows the display of indigenous or locally made products and the promotion of entrepreneurial skills as part of the local government's economic recovery initiative.
The city’s economic recovery initiative encourages active participation from local entrepreneurs and various groups engaged in livelihood projects and programs.
Olowan said among those most affected by the coronavirus pandemic are small entrepreneurs.
“Social resiliency requires people capacitation by providing them wide-ranging opportunities to regain their collective confidence and allowing them to exercise their entrepreneurial skills while promoting further their level of creativity and fostering unique culture through indigenous, culturally-inspired and locally-made products and artistic brands,” he said, reading a portion of the resolution.
The city government has earlier approved the allocation of funds that MSMEs can access as a soft loan to help the sector rebound from the losses during the pandemic.
Aside from local government initiatives, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Science and Technology, and other government agencies also continue to drum up efforts for the sector. (PNA)
