51 CALABARZON micro, small, and medium enterprises graduated from the Department
of Trade and Industry Region 4-A’s KAPATID Mentor ME-Money and Market
Encounter (KMME-MME)
Program on July 11, 2023
via Zoom. In partnership
with the Philippine Center
for Entrerepeneurship-Go
Negosyo, KMME-MME
Online Multisectoral
Batch Graduation was
conducted after the mentees’ successful presentation of their Business
Improvement Plan (BIP)
to an expanded panel of
evaluators composed of
representatives from the
banks, online market platforms, and other business
support organizations.
“This year marks
the 8th year of the KMME
Program, and it has never been this fulfilling to
witness how this program
produced so many successful entrepreneurs
over the years. I am proud
to say that this is where
we get our champions,
our future successful
businessmen and women,
and of course, our future
mentors. More than the
success, it is the story behind it that makes everything worth it—the failures
that built your character,
the hard-learned discipline, and your courage
along the way. I hope
these shape your whole
entrepreneurial journey,
spreading contagious
positivity to your fellow entrepreneurs and inspiring
those that are still dreaming,” said DTI 4-A OIC-Assistant Regional Director
Revelyn A. Cortez in her
welcome remarks.
The KMMEMME Online is designed
to integrate MME into the
regular KMME Program.
This aims to provide a
platform for existing and
aspiring MSMEs to learn
and be inspired by the
entrepreneurial journey
of mentors online, adapt
their business strategies
in responding to the challenges of the new normal
business environment, be
the channel for capacity building on an online
platform using the KMME
modules and canned lectures via webinar, and provide an avenue for business mentorship of the
waitlisted MSMEs across
the regions and enhance
their resiliency through a
crisis.
“I am so proud of
the hardwork, dedication,
and willpower demonstrated by our MSMEs to
reboot their business in
order to recover from the
pandemic and face the
new normal. I’m sure that
the KMME-MME Program
has again produced graduates with the mindset
and values of successful
entrepreneurs. As graduates of KMME, you are
among those who know
the secret of the power
of mentorship. Under the
KMME program, you learn
from the best and you
benefit from the past mistakes and successes of
our mentors,” said DTI Regional Operations Group
Undersecretary Blesila A.
Lantayona in her congratulatory message.
The graduate-mentees completed
the 10-module program:
entrepreneurial mind-setting; marketing mindset;
business model canvas;
operations management;
digitalization; supply
and value chain; enterprise accounting/financial
management; human
resources/organization
management; product development and marketing
expansion and internationalization; and good governance & ethics.
“After closing my
computer shop business
because of the pandemic last 2020, I decided to
take a risk, try again, and
open up a new business
to adopt to this new normal. Dahil sa KMME-MME
Program, nabigyan ako
ng lakas na loob na harapin ang mga challenges.
Marami akong natutunan
sa mga pamamaraan sa
pagnenegosyo. Dahil sa
DTI, nagbago ang tingin
ko sa gobyerno. Dahil sa
programang ito, nabigyan
ng pag-asa ang malilit na
negosyo na gaya namin,”
said Mr. Chicoi Gonzales,
owner of Kuku Express
Solutions, Inc. in Cavite, in
his testimonial.
Another MSME
from Laguna, Mr. Tyrone
Jasper Reodica, owner of
Let Eat Go Food and Beverage House in Laguna,
expressed his gratitude to
the DTI for the assistance
and guidance in his startup business.
“Natulungan po
ako ng DTI to realize the
importance of having a
business plan and applying digitalization in my
business. Starting a business is not easy. However,
when having both a plan
and passion in everything
that you do, nothing is impossible,” added Reodica.
“We are elated
that another batch of talented and hardworking
mentees were able to
graduate this year. We
cannot wait to witness
what’s in store for you after applying all your learning from the program. But
one thing is for sure, lots
of wonderful opportunities
await you,” said DTI 4-A
OIC-Regional Director
Marissa C. Argente.
This is the fourth
year of KMME-MME Online in CALABARZON.
Overall, there are 750
graduate-mentees from
2016-2023 in the region.
The KMME-MME
Online is a public-private
partnership program between the DTI and the
PCE-Go Negosyo to provide business coaching
and mentorship for entrepreneurs across the
country. If you want to be
a mentee of the KMMEMME Online, visit your
nearest DTI Regional and
Provincial Office or Nego
