An initial batch of 50 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Negros Oriental that are directly impacted by the El Niño and fire incidents will receive Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbabangon at Ginhawa (PPG) program business kits from the Department of Trade Industry (DTI).

In an interview Tuesday, DTI-Negros Oriental information officer Jade Krystle Bato said each “Negosyo Kit” worth PHP8,000 will be given in June once the beneficiaries have all been profiled and have met the requirements, such as having a business permit.

“We prioritize fire victims and those directly impacted by the El Niño, especially from the towns of Sta. Catalina, Mabinay, and Bayawan City, which were the first local government units to declare a state of calamity,” she said.

Bato said identifying and profiling beneficiaries is “tricky” because most small businesses are affected by El Niño, such as “sari-sari” stores whose sales have dropped and are difficult to quantify.

“Even a farm that the drought has impacted cannot qualify unless it has a mayor’s permit,” she said, adding victims of fire and other disasters can also qualify for the PPG program.

Profiling is ongoing for the beneficiaries that have been the hardest hit, such as those in the agriculture sector, with the help of the local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices, whose certification is needed, Bato said. (PNA)