DTI allots P73M for ‘Yolanda corridor’ areas in northern Cebu

Bogo City is among the affected areas when Super Typhoon Yolanda hit Visayas in 2013. (CDN FILE PHOTO)

The Department of Trade and Industry in Central Visayas (DTI 7) is earmarking P73 million next year to help more micro, small, and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) in one city and 15 municipalities in Cebu that belonged to the so-called Yolanda corridor, or areas devastated by the 2013 Supertyphoon Yolanda.

This was confirmed by DTI 7 business development chief Elias Tecson during yesterday’s Kapihan sa PIA at the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) plenary hall.

“We have a lot of projects in store for 2017 which are all focused on helping MSMEs in the 16 municipalities under the Yolanda corridor,” Tecson told reporters.

Tecson was referring to the city and towns mostly located in northern Cebu stricken by Yolanda, namely Bogo City and the municipalities of Bantayan, Borbon, Daanbantayan,
Madridejos, Medellin, Pilar, Poro, San Francisco, San Remigio, Sogod, Santa Fe, Tabogon, Tabuelan, Tuburan and Tudela.

The P73 million will be funneled into various projects, to include P2.2 million for livelihood, P9 million for retrofitting to introduce green measures to the municipalities, and P10 million for putting up more Negosyo Centers in 11 more Yolanda-stricken municipalities, he said.

A large chunk of the budget, P53 million, will be allotted for Shared Service Facilities (SSFs), a project by DTI which aims to address the gaps in the production of priority industries in the municipalities.

Through the SSF, Tecson said, DTI will provide cold storage facilities to Medellin, Sta. Fe and Bantayan to aid fishers folk in preserving the quality of their dried fish products.

“We will open Negosyo Centers in 2017 in Bantayan, Madridejos, Sogod, Borbon, Tabogon, San Francisco, Tudela, Pillar, Poro and Medellin. Prior to this, we need a social preparation of three months before the actual implementation which involves personally going to the LGUs (local government units), discussing the project to them and identifying their needs,” Tecson said.

Tecson said that Negosyo Centers in Bogo, San Remigio, Santa Fe, Daanbantayan, Tuburan, Dalaguete, Carcar, Consolacion and Lapu-Lapu City are now in place. The area where the Negosyo Center will be set up is identified by the local government unit and typically measures at least 50 square meters.

Negosyo Centers offer a range of services such as business registration assistance, business advisory in terms of product development, market access, investment promotions, financing, and business information and advocacy.

The DTI is also aiming to augment the production of the poultry industry in Bantayan.

Tecson noted that with the Negosyo Centers now in place coupled with their intervention projects, DTI has observed rapid growth among MSMEs in the Yolanda corridor towns.