Ilokano entrepreneurs attended the Regional Business Roadshow of the Small Business Corporation (SBCorp), an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) at Palacio de Laoag, Laoag City, earlier today.
SBCorp is a government-owned and government-controlled corporation that offers loans to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that continued to operate amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Happy po kami to welcome you [SBCorp] and I hope na itong event na ‘to will lead to much progress in the province,” Governor Matthew Manotoc said during the event.
He also assured MSME owners that the provincial government will increase its assistance to them, particularly now that the province has established the Ilocos Norte MSME Incubation Center.
Meanwhile, Ms. Grace R. Lapastora, Assistant Regional Director of DTI, commended and expressed her gratitude to the Governor for his continued support of the trade and industry activities in the province.
At the roadshow, SBCorp also launched their two (2) main programs in the province, namely, “Resilient, Innovative, and Sustainable Enterprises, Unleash Your Powers” (RISE UP) and Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso (P3).
“We came here to Ilocos Norte because, first, we know that the province has many MSMEs, so ngayon po nakita po namin yung potential group ng probinsya. Sana po makatulong po kami sa pagpapalaki ng ating mga negosyo,” remarked Ms. Eloisa Isip, CEO III, Communications Department of SBCorp.
According to Ms. Isip, SBCorp has 722 MSME owners who have been accepted for loans from the agency.
Cheques were distributed by SBCorp to borrowers whose loans were approved.
Economic revitalization through uplifting MSMEs is among the proponent programs of Gov. Marcos Manotoc. The provincial government has funneled tons of millions of funds in previous years to protect the livelihood and increasing the incomes of Ilokano entrepreneurs. －Mariell Pahinag, PGIN-CMO
