The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has already established 145 Negosyo Centers in Eastern Visayas that will provide opportunities to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the region.

Aside from business centers in seven cities and 136 towns in the region, the trade department also opened a facility inside the campuses of Eastern Visayas State University in this city and Visayas State University in Baybay City.

DTI Eastern Visayas regional director Celerina Bato said almost all centers are lodged at city or municipal hall compounds to bring the services closer to MSMEs.

“Through our Negosyo Centers, clients are able to complement their business information and training needs with our schedule of activities and wide array of data at our disposal,” Bato said in an interview Monday.

These centers which have been set up since 2014 until this year, according to Bato, have been providing sales opportunities and capacity development activities.

The Negosyo Center Program is responsible for promoting ease of doing business and facilitating access to services for MSMEs. This is mandated under Republic Act 10644, also known as the “Go Negosyo Act,” which seeks to strengthen MSMEs to create more job opportunities in the country.

The program started in 2014, with five centers established in the islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Since then, more centers have been set up nationwide bringing ease of doing business closer to MSMEs in all regions.

MSMEs are defined as any business activity or enterprise engaged in industry, agribusiness and services, whether single proprietorship, cooperative, partnership or corporation whose total assets are not more than PHP3 million for micro, not more than PHP15 million for small, and not more than PHP100 million for medium. (PNA)