Bohol is suiting up to be an adjunct to the development of industries with the establishment of a center that promotes ease of doing business and ensures access to services for even micro-enterprises.

Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino said the establishment of Negosyo Centers in the entire country is provided in the Go Negosyo Act, the first law he had passed through the Senate.

He said the law was enacted in July 2014 and after over a year, there had been 85 Negosyo Centers already in the country, and the one inaugurated last Friday was the 86th in the entire Philippines and the second in Bohol.

The first Negosyo Center in Bohol situated in the provincial office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) about a kilometer from the Capitol building was launched in July in time of the annual Sandugo trade fair.

The senator said the government launches Negosyo Centers every week in different areas of the country, in partnership with the DTI and local government units.

Many areas still have to start with investment promotion and the Go Negosyo Act can pave for the first steps.

Senator Aquino explained that a Negosyo Center has four main functions.

One is providing link on financing for micro, small and medium enterprises or entrepreneurs for those who need either through coops or other financing institutions.

Another is mentorship where business counselors will be there for constant help to guide the entrepreneur throughout the process.

It also serves as one-stop shop for the processing of requirements to make doing business easy.

Another function is the marketing support to link the entrepreneurs with trade fairs and other major product outlets as it had been noticed that there have been many high quality products which often do not reach the larger market.

The Negosyo Centers will guide the entrepreneurs through the path to prosperity, according to Aquino.

He said establishing a one-stop shop for micro, small and medium enterprises has been his advocacy for the past years in the Senate.

The launching of the second Negosyo Center in Bohol was held last Friday where the senator joined members of BCCI, First District Rep. Rene Relampagos—the vice chair of the House Committee on Trade and Industry, Third District Rep. Arthur Yap, DTI-7 Regional Director Aster Caberte and provincial officials—led by Governor Edgar Chatto.

In the afternoon, Aquino addressed the youth sector in a roundtable discussion at Casa Rey Francis restaurant.

The senator also addressed participants of the Basic Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Transformation (BEST) seminar at the Governor’s

Gov. Edgar Chatto considered the Bohol “Go Negosyo” Center right inside the Bohol Investment Promotions Center (BIPC) at capitol as an institutional leap toward attaining a genuine inclusive growth for the Boholanos.

The law of Aquino, Senate trade, commerce and entrepreneurship committee chair, mandates the creation of the Negosyo Center .

It has two major points which are business registration and development, both to alleviate poverty through strong micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country.

Chatto and DTI Reg’l. Dir. Asteria Caberte signed the memorandum agreement on the center with the support of the Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and Rep. Rene Relampagos, vice-chair of the trade and industry committee of the House of Representatives.

The DTI directly supervises the center in facilitating development programs and providing support for business ideas, management, team building, marketing, human resources, and many other aspects of maintaining business.

The province acts as an industry partner than can be a source of competent technical expertise, including business planning and review and feasibility study, to accelerate the implementation of the program.

He thanked the DTI while hailing Aquino’s law or the Republic Act 10644, “An Act Promoting Job Generation and Inclusive Growth through the Development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.”

The Negosyo Center is a convergence point for the DTI, MSME Development Council, LGUs and private sector for easier business ways and surer access to services.

The services include business registration, advisory services, information and advocacy, and monitoring and evaluation.

It facilitates business registration thru the Philippine Business Registry (PBR), including those for barangay micro business enterprises.

The center provides free one-on-one advisory services to MSMEs tailored according to their needs, including access to financing, market promotion, training and mentorship, investment facilitation and financial management, among others.

It gives access to information on markets, suppliers, buyers, government assistance programs and other relevant data.

Envisioned for replication in as many LGUs in the future, the Negosyo Center tracks the progress of MSMEs which is critical to ensuring success and growth.

At its core, the center nurtures the growth of MSMEs and creates an attractive framework for dealing with the difficulties in the process of doing business.

Chatto said the center is of mighty use in overturning disadvantages that MSMEs encounter by providing numerous technical services so needed and vital to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.