President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Wednesday expressed gratitude to Puregold Price Club Inc. for helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are “vulnerable to external shocks.”

In a speech delivered in Pasay City, Duterte recognized Puregold’s efforts to assist SMEs such as community stores by holding its 14th Tindahan ni Aling Puring Negosyo Convention.

“Let me thus express my immense gratitude to Puregold not only for conducting this event, but also for making it the company’s fundamental purpose to assist small businesses like the sari-sari stores,” he said.

Duterte said the event would spur more economic activities amid the prevailing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, since SMEs are “one of the backbones of our economy.”

“If the Covid-19 pandemic has emphasized anything, it is that SMEs are vulnerable to external shocks such as financial crises, disasters, and forced changes in the business movement and environment. I thus wish to stress that this activity that Puregold has created is significant and truly worth commending,” he said.

This, as he acknowledged that SMEs created “countless jobs” for the country’s growing labor force.

SMEs, Duterte said, utilize the Filipino people’s talents and help the government in the fight against hunger and poverty.

“As our SMEs are exposed to meaningful exchanges with suppliers, manufacturers and fellow entrepreneurs, they are pushed to adopt innovations and strategies that would help them achieve stability and success,” Duterte said.

Duterte hoped that Puregold would also continue to devise “enabling” business practices for its customers and stakeholders.

“It is also my desire that, as it has always been in the past, Puregold will remain a dedicated partner of the government in working for a progressive economy that every Filipino may enjoy,” he said.

Puregold’s Tindahan ni Aling Puring Negosyo Convention, which will be held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City from May 19 to 21, gathers small retail store operators and other business owners nationwide.

The Tindahan ni Aling Puring is a customized and holistic membership program for sari-sari store owners and other business owners, offering them discounts and other benefits like free delivery, business financing assistance and even free insurance for members.

To date, there are over 600,000 registered Tindahan ni Aling Puring members all throughout the country. (PNA)