ANGELES CITY – The city government is eyeing establishment of a permanent business area for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in a continuing effort to strengthen its development and competitiveness.
City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan on Wednesday said the city’s Business Development and Promotions Center (BDPC) saw the need to put up a venue for city-based SMEs as a way to help promote their products.
Pamintuan said that the BDPC, in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Pampanga Provincial Office, has been implementing projects and activities to help the SMEs boost their productivity.
He particularly cited the 3-day trade fair dubbed as “Buy Angeles!” at the city hall which kicked off Tuesday.
“This is one step in helping out our SMEs in Angeles to boost the development of their respective business. It is also the city’s way to make Angeleños recognize and embrace local goods,” the mayor said.
DTI Provincial Director Elenita Ordonio, meanwhile, said the agency holds weekly coaching among SMEs about entrepreneurial mind-setting and values formation, packaging, marketing, and other factors that contribute to the improvement of their business.
Ordonio also said that the agency is very much supportive to the city government as it recently turned over a Bottom-Up Budgetting (BuB) funding amounting to PHP2 million for the establishment of the city’s own One Town, One Product (OTOP) Store Express to be located at the heritage district here.
Some 18 SMEs are participating in the trade fair showcasing a variety of products such as jewelry and leather crafts, soaps and wines made out of endogenous ingredients, water bonsai plants, lemonade, taho, chicharon, pastries and delicacies, and organic products. (Froilan E. Magtoto/PNA)