Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque is pushing for a budget increase of more than P10 billion to bolster loan funding for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Roque said the agency is preparing to request an expanded allocation during upcoming budget hearings.
“There’s a push for MSMEs, especially the micro. We’re really trying to make sure that we give funding for microenterprises because they need to grow. They can’t be left behind,” Roque said on the sidelines of 2025 Post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) discussions at the Makabagong San Juan National Government Center.
Roque said that while the Small Business Corp. already manages funds for MSMEs, additional financing is necessary to align with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to increase access to capital.
She is also pushing for additional funding for the Women Enterprise Fund, saying women-led businesses are essential to the President’s vision of boosting family incomes through dual-earner households
