BY MARY JOY CAVAÑAS
ILOILO City – A total of 48 vendors from the city’s public markets completed their business training at the Uswag Negosyo Academy.
The completion ceremony for the fourth and fifth batches of trainees was held on Monday, Nov. 6, at the City Mayor’s Office.
The training, a collaboration of the city’s Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion (LEDIP) office and Local Economic Enterprise Office (LEEO) and BDO Foundation, were composed of six sessions related to business operations and market management to enrich the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Also, as part of the agreement between the city government and BDO Foundation, the BDO Network Bank Iloilo facilitated the BDO Kabayan accounts of completers to further sustain the improvement in the MSMEs’ competitiveness.
The foundation also gave completers P5,000 each as additional capital for their businesses and be deposited in their accounts.
Mayor Jerry P. Treñas commended the different offices, non-government agencies, and private companies in supporting the program.
“As we continue to redevelop our markets, we must also help our market vendors to be equipped with skills in financial literacy and business handling before they go back to their usual operations in the new markets,” said Treñas.
The city mayor also emphasized to the vendors the need to have clean and safe markets that are convenient and accessible to the public.
Uswag Negosyo Academy is the city government’s banner program through the LEDIP office. It focuses on the needs and growth of the MSMEs in the city.
“Aside from the skills they have learned in the training, we hope they will use the additional capital from BDO to help their business grow,” said LEDIP head Velma Jane C. Lao./PN
