Around 17 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and local government units from Negros Occidental will participate in the annual Negros Business Week celebration of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Robinson's Place, Bacolod City, that kicks off today.
MBCCI chief executive officer Frank Carbon said yesterday that the event now on its eight year run, aims to help the MSMEs to promote their products and services, and encourage them to level into medium and large scale enterprises.
Carbon said 90 to 95 percent of businesses in the province are from MSMEs, employing 70 percent of the labor force with most of them paid minimum wages.
“We need our MSMEs to grow for them to pay higher wages to their employees,” he said, adding “If we want to develop our economy, we must first see them upscale.”
The event will also highlight seminars on customer handling and upgrading marketing capabilities for MSMEs to teach them how to take care of their buyers and as well as teach them new ways in marketing their products, he said.
Negros Business Week, that will end on July 16, will also showcase the unique products and services of participating LGUs, as well as those of its member-business sectors, that may be availed of at their respective booths, a press release said.
It also said that LGUs participating in the event are the cities of Himamaylan, Kabankalan, Sagay, Cadiz, Silay, Bago and Bacolod, and themunicipalities of Hinigaran and La Castellana. Each will give emphasis to their tourism offerings as part of the exhibition together with the Provincial Tourism Office. *MLG
