SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga—The Department of Trade and Industry will continue to assist and strengthen the 16,079 small and medium enterprises in Central Luzon to become stronger and more competitive in the Asean integration and in world markets.
Leonor Paningbatan, head of the Small and Medium Development Enterprises division of the DTI in Central Luzon, assured this Sunday.
Under the Asean integration, the regional body works for a single market with free flow of goods, capital and services for greater connectivity to promote businesses among its ten members.
Paningbatan said DTI’s assistance will be in the form of loans, marketing, product development, seminars, and technical applications. These are aimed to make Filipino businesses more competitive in the local and world market.
SMES, 103 of them being exporters, employ a total of 30,799 persons, reducing the unemployment rate of the region.
According to the DTI division chief, items exported to the US, Canada, China, Middle East and Asean countries include furniture, food both halal and non-halal, accessories, garments and small items.
The enterprises are located in Bulacan (4,457), Pampanga (3,556), Nueva Ecija,(2,990), Tarlac (1,559), Bataan (1,245), Zambales (1,249), and Aurora (197).
Under the present administration, SMEs are given priority to boost employment and human development index of the country, Paningbatan said.