TAYABAS CITY, Quezon – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Calabarzon’s “Kapatid Mentor Me Program” (KMME), in partnership with the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE), has trained 21 Quezon promising entrepreneurs to boost the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and spur economic activities in the province.
Mia Angeline V. Cortez, DTI-Calabarzon regional information officer, told Philippine News Agency on Thursday that the 21 KMME graduates comprised the first batch this year after their three-month training, which culminated last July 16 in this city.
Cortez said this year’s batch is the third in a series of KMME trainings in Quezon province which started in 2017, along with other scheduled trainings in the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Rizal for the Calabarzon Region.
KMME program, an initiative of the DTI and the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE), aims to help the country’s micro and small enterprises through their tapped experts and industry leaders as mentors and resource persons.
“In essence, undergoing the KMME Program is like taking up a Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurship but for free and with the same quality of education from experts, consultants, executives, and owners of corporations,” DTI Calabarzon Regional Director Marilou Q. Toledo said.
Under the training program, the KMME resource persons provide a series of free mentoring sessions on product development, marketing, operations management, accounting, taxation, finance, obligations and contracts, human resource management, supply and value chain, succession planning, and business plan development.
“The KMME will not only help our micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) increase their income but also help spur economic activity and generate employment opportunities,” said Toledo.
DTI-Quezon provincial officer-in-charge Julieta L. Tadiosa said the materials were simplified to help MSMEs digest the information effectively and relate to actual examples.
“While designing the KMME program, we came up with the three Cs—consciousness, competency, and confidence,” shared PCE Angelpreneur Victor N. Madlangbayan as one of the mentors.
Madlangbayan underscored that it is very important for a businessperson to change his/her consciousness into an entrepreneurial mindset; enhance his/her competency in managing the business; and show confidence in dealing with clients and business partners.
Before completing the training, each mentee presented his/her Business Improvement Plan (BIP) to the panelists from the DTI, PCE, Southern Luzon State University (SLSU), Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Bank of Makati, Quezon Capital Rural Bank, Greenlife, Caltan Training and Consultancy, Small Business Corporation, St. Jude Cooperative, and GenMae General Merchandise.
KMME mentees were graded based on the effectiveness of their presentation, which includes organization, flow, time, and effectiveness to response to audience questions and comments.
The mentees’ score card also includes their application of learning from the modules such as market opportunity, competitive advantage, management capability, financial understanding, and innovation.
One of the KMME graduates, Mayumi M. Delos Reyes, owner of DMY Bakeshoppe from Candelaria, Quezon, shared that her business has finally found its direction as her business mission and vision became clearer after undertaking the training.
“The KMME Program is very helpful because I was able to create my own business plan that serves as my guide—where to go and what actions to take,” Delos Reyes said.
Delos Reyes and her husband are both OFWs and put up their cakes and pastries business in 2015. The business has since produced the bestsellers such as yema and chocolate cakes, yema tarts, yema spread, and recently, sinantolan or ginataang santol –a Filipino dish made of grated santol meat cooked in shrimp paste and coconut cream.
“We are grateful to DTI for helping small businesses to grow and succeed. After the KMME, I became more analytical and inspired to expand my business because I am now armed with sufficient knowledge and competency in entrepreneurship,” disclosed Elizabeth S. Cometa, owner of John, Renz, and Kent Food Products.
Cometa’s business produces her now popular cacao wine sourced from her three-hectare cacao tree farm, which also provides livelihood and income for local growers and farmers. (PR)