The faculty and staff of University of San Carlos and Santa Clara University of California, with representatives from RAFI, after their discussion on proposing a community-based microentrepreneurship which could help alleviating poverty in Region 7. (CDN PHOTO/MOREXETTE ERRAM)
Santa Clara University of California has collaborated with the School of Business and Economics of the University of San Carlos (USC) and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) to design and implement programs that will helping sustain and improve micro-entrepreneurs in Cebu, with the purpose of alleviating poverty in the area.
Fr. Michael Engh of Santa Clara University said they are impressed with the practicality of USC’s current microentrepreneur-focused programs, and that they are giving their full-support on implementing the project.
The said academic-collaboration will be a community-based program wherein students, faculty and alumni of the economics and business departments of USC and Santa Clara University will participate on helping and sustaining micro-entrepreneurs around Cebu.
USC University President Fr. Dionisio Miranda said they invited representatives from Santa Clara University to discuss with them how community extensions of microentrepreneur programs in California in the United States of America can be used to aid the improvement of microentrepreneurship in Cebu, and ultimately “alleviate the poverty situation”.
“Their programs serve as benchmarks on how to further sustain microentrepreneurship,” added Miranda.
In addition, the dean of USC’s School of Business and Economics, Dr. Challoner Matero, said their department, together with RAFI, will do extensive research to make sure that the microentrepeneurship program from Santa Clara University, which are designed for a first-world country, will be applicable for a third-world country like the Philippines.
The team will also research on the poverty situation in Cebu before launching the project.