DTI Aklan Holds SME Caravan

To celebrate the National Micro Small and Medium Enterprise Development (MSMED) Week, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Aklan Provincial MSMED Council will conduct an Enhanced SME Caravan.  Some 100 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the province of Aklan will gather at the Ati-Atihan Festival Hostel and Conference Center on July 18-20, 2012 to attend the three-day Enhanced SME Caravan.

The caravan will bring together National Government Agencies and private sector institutions whose programs are designed to promote entrepreneurship, improve access to credit and markets, and increase productivity and efficiency of Aklan MSMEs.

The 3-day caravan will cover the following activities:

1) Entrepreneurs’ Forum – July 18 

A venue for exchange of useful information to MSMEs  on the programs and services offered by the Aklan PMSMED Council members for MSMEs.  Advisory sessions/one-on-one consultation with MSME participants will be conducted. The advisory team will be composed of the four outcome portfolios, namely, Business & Investment Enabling Environment (BIEE), Access to Market (A2M), Access to Finance (A2F), and Productivity & Efficiency (P&E);    

2) A one day Seminar on Effective Trade Center/SME Showroom Management and Visual  Merchandising Mr. James Non c/o  Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) will conduct on July 19;

3) Consultancy on Food Packaging and Labeling Ms. Ana Maria Veronica Solano c/o Phil. Trade Training Center (PTTC) will conduct on July 20 (1/2 day AM, venue 1);

4) Skills Demonstration on Advanced Beadworks Chona G. Lachica of the Cottage Industry Technology Center (CITC) will conduct on July 20 (1/2 day AM, venue 2); and

5) Seminar on Wealth Management Ms. Zorayda A. Rosanes of the Wealth Academy, International Marketing Group will conduct on July 20 (1/2 day PM, venue 2).

The enhanced SME caravan aims to establish an enabling environment for business to grow through packages of business information services that could be accessed by the MSMEs.  Participants will have the flexibility to choose what topic to attend to during the simultaneous workshop sessions.  Learnings from these consultations, lectures and workshops will enhance their capabilities in managing their businesses, according to DTI provincial director Diosdado P. Cadena, Jr. /MP