CITY OF MALOLOS — The Department of Trade and Industry Bulacan Provincial Office (DTI Bulacan) with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) pilot-launched the “Gabay sa Barangay: Enterprise Development Program” in the the barangays of Dulong Malabon, Lumbac, and Tibag in Pulilan and Balayong, Caniogan, and San Vicente in Malolos under the program.
Emmanuel Caleon, DTI- Bulacan information officer, on Wednesday (Feb. 21) said the launching of the program was held on February 16 which the main objective is to mobilize the barangay to assist the local business sector for a sustainable business development.
“It aims to develop the potential of the barangays by capacitating its officials and volunteers on investment and entrepreneurship; providing them series of business-related training and workshop and other services based on the support needed. At the end of the program, enrolled barangays will be presenting their Barangay Sustainable Business Development Plan,” Caleon added.
Meanwhile, according to DTI-Region III Assistant Regional Director officer-in-charge who is also DTI-Bulacan Provincial Director Edna Dizon, the goal of the program is for the agency to collaborate with barangay governments in strengthening rural businesses.
“The target includes finding out who in the barangay should have a business, are those who currently have businesses there complying with commercial and industrial policies, how aware is the operation of a business and discover what other products has the potential to be developed and involved in One Town, One Product (OTOP),” Dizon said.
She added that this will be a start to fully boost rural productivity and contribute to the goal of making poverty incidence single-digit by the year 2028.
“This is in line with the targets of the 2023-2028 Philippine Development Plan of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.,” Dizon said.
There are three salient features in the implementation of the program: (1) assessment and strategic planning to determine the strength and key areas of the enrolled barangay; (2) provision of training and workshop to barangay officials, volunteers, and micro entrepreneurs; and (3) consultancy services from the partner agencies and offices.
In 2022, the Gabay sa Barangay: A Capacity Building Project for Entrepreneurial Development was implemented in two (2) barangays. This first version of Gabay sa Barangay provided training to local business owners and potential entrepreneurs from skills training to Entrepreneurial Mind-setting. The 2024 Gabay sa Barangay changed the landscape of the program with the involvement of several stakeholders.
For 2024, DTI Bulacan is targeting twenty barangays in Bulacan, covering all the congressional districts, to implement the Gabay sa Barangay Program.
The program is in partnership with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG Bulacan), Department of Science and Technology (DOST Bulacan), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT Bulacan), and the Provincial Government of Bulacan, all committed to support and assist in the implementation. DTI Bulacan is eyeing to partnering to more agencies that can help and support enterprise development in the barangay. (UnliNews Online)
