48 entrepreneurs from Bohol, rest of CV finish DTI’s mentoring program

**MENTORING PROGRAM**. Screenshot shows some of the 48 entrepreneurs in Central Visayas who have finished the multi-sectoral batch of the Kapatid Mentor Micro Entrepreneurs-Money Market Encounter (KMME-MME) program of the Department of Trade and Industry. Of this batch, 13 mentee-graduates were from Cebu, 13 from Bohol, 14 from Negros Oriental, and eight from Siquijor. *(Screenshot from DTI-7)*

CEBU CITY – A total of 48 entrepreneurs from Central Visayas have graduated from the multi-sectoral batch of the Kapatid Mentor Micro Entrepreneurs-Money Market Encounter (KMME-MME) program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The project is in partnership with the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE)-Go Negosyo and Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).

The virtual graduation on Friday was graced by DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez, PCE-Go Negosyo Joey Ma. Concepcion III and Ma. Elena Arbon, the newly appointed regional director of DTI-7.

“Learning through online may present a lot of challenges but we are proud to have graduated the enrolled mentees. We wish you [mentees] not only to become successful entrepreneurs but job creators as well,” Arbon said.

A statement from DTI said Baywalk Enterprises owner Riezl Cabanero Chua has managed to finish the online course despite the challenges amidst the pandemic.

“We take pride in the work that we do and we will continue to improvise and develop new business strategies and innovations. Our business was closed [during the pandemic] but we have managed to shift to making face masks and face shields,” the entrepreneur from Balamban, Cebu said.

Chua, a working mom of two, used to be engaged in advertising, publication and printing services which only resumed operations under the less strict community quarantine.

“With KMME, I have developed a wider perspective in the business. I learned to be more aggressive in my goals, to be less complacent and to be more visionary. With the pandemic, KMME for me is indeed a very good motivating program that gave us hope for the future and sets back the fire and our burning passion in our businesses,” she said.

The 10-week program aimed to produce confident entrepreneurs engaged in different types of businesses with the right mindset and basic management skills to enable them to sustain their enterprises in the new normal conditions.

“My goal now is to fine tune all our systems in the business [book-keeping, organizational structure, production processes, inventory system and other existing roadblocks] and expand our network of production partners in preparation for planned biz expansion,” Chua said.

Chua is among the 13 mentee-graduates from Cebu.

Thirteen (13) other graduates are from Bohol, 14 from Negros Oriental and eight from Siquijor who has surpassed the mentoring program since April.

DTI Cebu said it is now accepting applicants for its sectoral batch of KMME Online set in July.

Owners or managers of businesses engaged in the tourism industry such as resorts, hotels and accommodation, restaurants catering tourists and travel and tours agencies are enjoined to enroll and may register online until June 15 through https://tinyurl.com/CEBUKMME-MMEONLINEBATCH4. (PNA)