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Filipino-Owned Businesses (Locally and Abroad)

194K views 549 replies 101 participants last post by  ajosh821 
#1 ·
#315 ·
Most small businesses optimistic about growth — Facebook survey

MAJORITY or 64% of small businesses currently operating on the social media platform Facebook said they were optimistic they would grow despite the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.


“True to character, of those Philippine micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) operational on Facebook, 64% are saying that they are optimistic about the future of their business and are stepping up to take their business forward despite the setbacks of the pandemic,” Facebook Philippines said in statement e-mailed to reporters on July 23, citing its latest study on the state of small businesses.

Facebook’s “State of Small Business Report” covers 30,000 small entrepreneurs and employees in over 50 countries, including over 100 respondents in the Philippines. The survey was conducted from May 28 to May 31 in partnership with the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

“The survey captures the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on MSMEs business operations, their financial performance, and the actions that they have taken to mitigate the impact of the pandemic throughout the world,” Facebook Philippines said.

The survey showed 35% of Philippine MSMEs had reduced their workforce due to the pandemic crisis.

Facebook Philippines added 46% of MSMEs that remain operational on the social media platform reported a decline in sales, with some “by 50% or more compared to last year.”

“The respondents also noted that they are expecting cash flow to continue being a challenge over the next few months,” it added.

The Finance department has said about 436,000 of the country’s 1.6 million small businesses were forced to halt operations amid the government-imposed strict lockdown from mid-March to May. One million of them operated with a skeletal workforce.

More than 99% of the roughly one million business establishments in the country in 2018 were MSMEs, according to the Trade department. The smallest of them accounted for 88% of the total, or a little more than 887,000 establishments.
 
#316 ·
P22-M worth of loans released to 286 micro, small businesses

MANILA – The Small Business (SB) Corp. has released a total of PHP22 million to 286 micro and small enterprises (MSEs) under the Covid-19 Assistance to Restart Enterprises (CARES) program as of July 8.

In a statement Friday, of the total CARES loan beneficiaries, 71 are from Calabarzon Region, 52 from Metro Manila, 46 from Cordillera Administrative Region, 25 from Bicol Region, 22 from Central Visayas, 26 from Eastern Visayas, 18 from Mimaropa Region, 12 from Cagayan Valley Region, seven from Western Visayas, six from Ilocos Region, and one from Caraga Region.

SB Corp., the financing arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), started releasing the CARES loan on July 3.

To date, SB Corp. has approved 2,419 applications with aggregate loan amounting to PHP78.2 million.

The DTI has an initial budget of PHP1 billion to roll out the CARES program.

But DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez earlier said the total CARES loan applications have reached over PHP2 billion.

“For extra funds needed, we will use our other P3 (Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-Asenso) portfolio fund which is about PHP3.5 billion,” he said.

SB Corp. can also tap state-owned banks Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines to further fund the CARES program, he added.

The DTI launched the CARES program to help MSEs recover from their losses during the lockdown period due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
 
#319 ·
Taste the Pinoy life, culture, cuisine at Bangkok’s ‘Viva Filipinas’









After launching her first restaurant dedicated to Filipino cuisine, Zenaida Vannaying didn’t wait long to make her next move.

Only a few months after opening the doors to Lola’s Kitchen on Sukhumvit Road, the 66-year-old Pinoy businesswoman said pandemic conditions made the time ripe for another serving the best of her motherland’s cuisine, culture and lifestyle.

“So many Filipinos cannot go home during this tough time,” said Vannaying, who’s lived 40 years in Thailand and also owns hotels here and in Pattaya, among other businesses.


Inside one of those properties, a five-star boutique hotel on Sri Ayutthaya Road, her latest Filipino restaurant has a mission to boost Filipino spirits – thus its name, Viva Filipinas (“Long Live the Philippines,” in Spanish).

Though the archipelago’s cuisine hasn’t electrified the world and is less well-known than others from Southeast Asia, the newly opened restaurant brings to the table not just the dishes that define the country but also a wealth of its history and culture.










Next to the restaurant zone is a red-saturated bar called Club Escolta where bartenders shake and stir signature Filipino-style cocktails (many featuring calamansi!): the Viva Margarita (tequila, Cointreau, calamansi juice and sugar cane), Calamansi Spritzer (gin, sparkling wine, calamansi juice and sugar syrup) and Le Mango Stiletto (Mango juice, fresh mango, Cointreau and sparkling water). All signature cocktails are THB290.

Apart from dining and drinking, the venue also hosts weekly events such as street food buffets, a Sunday Jeepney buffet and a Sabado (Saturday) party featuring drag performances and more.

Viva Filipinas is located on the fourth floor of Akara Hotel Bangkok on Phayathai Road. It’s open 11am until late every day.
 
#320 ·
Why turkeys are so important to the Philippines’ poultry industry



Homesteaders in Pagadian, a mountainous region on the island of Mindanao, carry a pet turkey which has strayed too far into the jungle. Aside from providing eggs and meat, turkeys also make popular, gregarious – and loud – pets

Colonised by Spain in the 1500s and the United States of America in the 1900s, the country has developed a culture that seamlessly blends essential ingredients of these two nations with elements of its own. Poultry-wise, this combination might best be demonstrated by, of all things, the turkey – for Philippine turkeys directly trace their ancestry to these two colonisers.

Our story begins in the Mexican port of Acapulco, which linked the markets of Europe and Asia via the Manila galleon trade. In the mid-16th century, enterprising Spaniards brought pavo or Spanish turkeys aboard their cramped, leaking ships. Spanish turkeys, descended from the wild birds domesticated by the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican people over the previous 2,000 years, were small but tough – highly resistant to disease and always ready to lay a good clutch of eggs.

Farmed alongside chickens in homesteads and barrios across the Philippines, they soon became familiar as pabo and flourished as free-range fowl, foraging in the brush for seeds, worms and insects.
Some 400 years passed, but turkey farming never really took off; it remained restricted mostly to backyard farms and private flocks. It was then that the Americans introduced new blood.

The Broad Breasted Bronze turkey is far larger and heavier than the Spanish-introduced turkey, growing to about 10kg. Unlike the scrappy South American, bird though, the newcomer came from colder climes, resulting in disease outbreaks, higher mortalities in Filipino flocks and smaller clutches of eggs. Both turkeys are predominantly brownish-black with a coppery sheen, adorned by white bars along the wings, tail and breast.

Together, these two birds provided the basis for turkey farms across the Philippines, which unlike chicken and duck farms, are still largely a niche market – a shame, since turkeys not only grow larger than chickens but are actually easier to raise and their meat is more expensive.
 
#321 ·
Baguio City offers zero interest loan for small businesses

BAGUIO CITY – The city government is reiterating its call to the public to take advantage of the zero-interest financial assistance for micro and small businesses here that comes in the form of a soft loan.

Atty. Leticia Clemente, city budget officer, on Monday reiterated the call after they were informed by the Small Business Corporation (SBC) that there are still very few applications, with only 31 so far, which have been approved.

The city government allocated PHP100 million stimulus package from its coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) operations fund to help ailing micro and small enterprises (MSEs) bounce back from the effect of the pandemic.

SBC, which was tapped to process the loan application, is a subsidiary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) which manages funds for loans to MSEs.

Clemente said that since the city’s Baguio Revitalization Actions for a Vibrant Economy–Economic Stimulus Package (BRAVE-ESP) was rolled out last month, there were only 100 applications received. Out of the number, 31 were approved and 38 were denied. The others are in process.

The program offers a minimum loan of PHP10,000 to a maximum of PHP50,000 for MSEs. Owners of small businesses can borrow up to PHP100,000.
 
#322 ·
DTI gives P790K livelihood aid to Cebu micro entrepreneurs

CEBU CITY – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has provided at least 79 qualified micro-entrepreneurs in Barangays Mambaling and Buhisan in this city with “negosyo kits” worth PHP10,000 each.

The 78 micro-entrepreneurs from Mambaling, who were victims of fire incidents that destroyed their livelihood, and one from Buhisan whose business was affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic received the coupon form to enable them to avail of various merchandise items to restore or expand their business.

Clariza Ayuda, a beneficiary from Buhisan, shared how her ‘kakanin’ (rice-based snacks) business was severely affected by quarantine restrictions, limited mobility, and low foot traffic.

She expressed her gratitude for the assistance, adding the kits given by DTI are “big help” to small entrepreneurs like her to continue with their livelihood.

This PHP10,000 coupon may be redeemed for groceries, kitchenware, clothing and textile items in Gaisano Mall in Mambaling which the beneficiaries will then use in their enterprise.
 
#323 ·
DTI opens 29th Negosyo Center in Cebu to help MSMEs



MSME ASSISTANCE. The new Negosyo Center in Mandaue City, Cebu aims to promote ease of doing business and facilitate access to services for micro, small and medium enterprises. There are now 29 Negosyo Centers across Cebu province that firms can visit to avail of business development programs and services. (Photo courtesy of DTI-Cebu)

MANDAUE CITY – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Cebu provincial office has opened its 29th Negosyo Center in this city to cater to more micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) amid the pandemic.

Mayor Jonas Cortes and DTI-Cebu OIC director Rose Mae Quiñanola led the opening of the facility on Tuesday, together with Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) executives and other local officials.

Quiñanola said the Negosyo Center will be assisting local MSMEs through business registration assistance, business advisory services, business information and advocacy, and monitoring and evaluation.

Cortes vowed to continue his support to all local entrepreneurs and potential ones for inclusive development.

The city government has also pioneered several advancements in developing MSMEs, such as weekly promotion of local delicacies in the Mandaue Investment Promotions Action Center (MIPAC) social media page bannered with “Tatak Mandaue”.

The Republic Act 10644, or the Go Negosyo Act, mandates the creation of Negosyo Centers in every municipality, city and province throughout the country to help grow the MSME sector which accounts for around 99 percent of registered businesses in the Philippines.

The Mandaue facility is the 64th Negosyo Center in the region aimed to promote ease of doing business and facilitate access to services for MSMEs.
 
#324 ·
Dito ko nalang post to...after J&E Express brouhaha, meron na namang bago [though unmarked yung FB, meh mga Lazada packages]

Ako'y t@ng@ng-t@nga sa mga ganito...asa public road, walang bubong o pader...sa panahon ng every Juan having a camera phone and socmed accounts...hindi ba nila naiisip yan? Yung sa J&E mukang warehouse na nila yung videos, lumabas pa...yan pa kaya?

 
#325 ·
DOLE urges closed businesses to submit report

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Ilocos regional office is urging business owners that have closed amid the pandemic to report their company’s status so the department could assist their displaced employees.

In the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters ng Pilipinas Pangasinan chapter virtual forum on Thursday, DOLE-1 regional director Nathaniel Lacambra said their reporting to DOLE would help employees claim unemployment insurance from the Social Security System (SSS).

“There were instances when a displaced employee was asking for certification of displacement from us, but the employer did not report to us so we could not right away give certification. Please report displacement so we could see the whole picture of unemployment amid the pandemic in the region,” he said.

He added displaced employees may also seek possible livelihood assistance from DOLE.

“We ask them if they want to start their own business and we assist them in making their own business proposal. We refer them to institutions, such (as) banks or other government agencies, that may provide capital for their business proposal,” Lacambra said.

If a displaced employee prefers going back to employment, DOLE tries to find available job vacancies or refer him or her to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for skills upgrade, he said.

DOLE also offers cash for work program under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged or Displaced Workers (TUPAD), he added.
 
#326 ·
Cebu retailers to hold virtual sale to stir consumer confidence

CEBU CITY – In a bid to stimulate trade and bring back consumer confidence, a retailers’ group will make an industry-wide “The Great Cebu Sale 2020” that will run for one-and-a-half months.

In a statement, the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA)-Cebu Chapter said it conceptualized the virtual sale of Cebu’s top brands in the hospitality, wellness, travel, automotive, fashion, hardware, electronics and food industries.

Inspired by the great Singapore sale, the event will highlight exceptional deals, promos and packages of participating brands throughout the sale period from Sept. 15 to Oct. 31.

Chester Lim, PRA-Cebu Chapter president, said the long period of quarantine since the middle of March and the lockdowns amid the resurgence of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in June have crippled businesses and jobs lost.

“We need to start building up business and consumer confidence through a movement of consumption. The Great Cebu Sale will hopefully create favorable conditions for businesses to go online during the Covid-19 pandemic,” Lim said. “It’s a great opportunity for Cebu businesses to promote their product and services via e-commerce.”

He said this first virtual shopping event will be conducted collectively by retailers in Cebu, along with the different businesses, organizations, and chambers here.

As Cebu is reopening the economy with the downtrend of Covid-19 cases, Lim said now is “a good time to purchase anything from discounted room accommodations to the best deal in work and study from home gadgets or simply enjoy a visit in your favorite family destination".
 
#328 ·
Philippines Says Number of Online Businesses Has Jumped 40 Times

The number of registered Philippine online businesses surged more than 40 times in the past five months as people turned to the Internet for income amid one of the world’s longest lockdowns.

Registered online business names soared to over 75,000 last week from 1,700 in March, the Department of Trade and Industry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The boom bodes well for the government, which is moving to tax online transactions as collections fall and spending rises due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Philippines expects its budget deficit to swell to a record this year as it sets an all-time high borrowing plan for 2021 to help the economy recover from a recession.

“The silver lining in Covid-19 is the accelerated adoption of e-commerce,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said, adding that the agency’s shift to digital business registration has also helped.
 
#329 ·
Makati businesses to get cash aid amid pandemic

MANILA – The city government of Makati is set to release a grant of PHP10,000 up to PHP100,000 worth of financial assistance to the businesses and entrepreneurs hard-hit by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic in the city, Mayor Abigail Binay said on Monday.

Under the city's PHP2.5-billion Makatizens economic relief program (MERP), Binay said the local government targets to assist some 78,000 businesses registered in Makati, as it revamps its business programs and pushes for economic recovery amid the health crisis.

"Makati-based businesses can get a grant of up to PHP100,000 depending on the number of Makatizens they employ," Binay said in a Facebook live. "Hindi po ito utang, tulong ito sa mga negosyante ng Makati (This is not a loan [offer], this is an assistance to entrepreneurs)," she added.

Binay, meanwhile, said the local government will ensure that the process on how to apply for the grant will be easy, fast and there should be automatic approval.

“These initiatives are intended to support businesses and ensure a safe environment for Makatizen consumers," she said. "We recognize the urgent need to help business owners recover in order to sustain their operations and retain their employees, which include city residents.”

Binay said recipients of the grant will not be required to pay back, provided that they comply with the city's three conditions for the next two years.

"For the next two years, these businesses must continue to operate. Hindi po kayo pwedeng magsara dahil tutulungan po kayo ng city of Makati (You are not allowed to close down because the city government will help you)," she said.

These businesses should not lay off any of their Makatizens employees and should strictly comply with the city's ordinances as well as the other safety guidelines, she added.
 
#330 ·
Covid-19 opens business opportunity for flower gardeners



BLOSSOMING BIZ. Twinkle Serrano has found a new source of income during the pandemic by selling cut flowers. Serrano has turned her hobby of flower gardening into a business as more people are currently engaged in gardening. (PNA photo by Annabel Consuelo J. Petinglay)

SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The coronavirus diseases 2019 (Covid19) pandemic has opened a business opportunity for Antiqueños who are engaged in flower gardening.

Twinkle Serrano used to regard flower gardening as a hobby. However, she was surprised after receiving many inquiries about it when she tried to market flowers online about two weeks ago.

In Tuesday’s interview, Serrano said she decided to sell the flowers she was cultivating in her garden so she would be able to earn some money for their family needs during this pandemic.

“When I posted the flowers, the people interested to buy it told me that we will just meet at the capitol ground,” she said.

Serrano was surprised to learn that aside from her, there were other people also selling flowers at the capitol.

“The capitol ground has become our meeting place with our customers,” she said.

At the time of the interview, Serrano was waiting for a customer who will buy her Calathea plant.

“I am selling the Calathea plant PHP50 to PHP60 per strand,” she said.

From selling a variety of plants, Serrano earns PHP1,000 a week, which she said is a big economic support for their family.

Serrano said she used a portion of her income to buy plants, which she sells to other interested buyers.
 
#331 ·
Aboitiz Group: Advancing business and communities amid Covid-19

The current global health crisis has ravaged almost every economy, not sparing the Philippines, which has been one of the hardest hit countries in Asia. While businesses, from micro industries to blue chip companies, have undoubtedly felt its egregious impact, the will to help fellow Filipinos and push for collaboration to ride out this challenge remain.

The Aboitiz Group, an organization which for a hundred years has been giving back to the community, pledged its support to the government to keep the economy running, while providing the needs of those whose lives are greatly affected by the pandemic.
 
#332 ·
Muntinlupa business group supports online selling



With businesses being hammered by the downturn due to pandemic restrictions, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI)-Muntinlupa is pushing to help enterprises in the city to sell their products online.
PCCI-Muntinlupa launched on Tuesday the WOW Munti MALL or Winning Online Wares-MSME Market Advocating Local Produce for Sustainable Livelihood for the Laden that aims to help micro, small, and medium enterprises reach out to customers through online marketing.

According to PCCI-Muntinlupa president, Elvie Sanchez-Quiazon, wide-ranging products will be offered for sale – from halal siomai, lumpiang sariwa, empanada, polvoron, fruits and vegetables, embroidered products, handicraft made by inmates at the New Bilibid Prison, bags to face masks. Buyers can shop online at For A Cause | W.O.W. munti MALL.

She said MSMEs started to feel the pinch when Taal volcano erupted in January. This was further aggravated when the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic began the following month.

“Some of them folded up, some are about to fold up, some could not survive, they could not even keep afloat. They were not earning well. There was one that really closed already,” Quiazon said.
 
#333 ·
DA cites success of women’s livelihood group in Surigao del Sur



WOMEN POWER. The group Belete Chicken Growers Association led by Nenita Dalayan in Barangay Balete, Bayabas, Surigao del Sur, has been recognized by the Department of Agriculture in Caraga Region for their successful chicken and egg production project. The business is funded through the agency’s Special Area for Agricultural Development program.(Photo courtesy of DA-13 Information Office)

BUTUAN CITY – A 25-member women’s group in Surigao del Sur has been recognized by the Department of Agriculture in the Caraga Region (DA-13) for succeeding in their rural agriculture project.

“The United Nations Women Organization asserts that when more women work, economies grow. While this claim is broad and excessively forward, this is altogether true,” the DA-13 said in a statement issued Wednesday (Sept. 9).

DA-13 said the Belete Chicken Growers’ Association (BACGA) in the town of Bayabas, Surigao del Sur, was among the groups that received project support from the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) in the last quarter of 2019.

The chicken and egg production project was pegged at over PHP833,000 and the supplies of chicken were delivered to the group in the early part of 2020, DA-13 said.

“Initially, my members are less committed, busy with their existing livelihood. It took me some time, primarily convincing them before they understood that this project will serve as an additional source of income for all of us,” Nenita Dalayan, a farmer-entrepreneur who heads the BACGA, was quoted by DA-13 as saying.

Dalayan said that upon getting the full support of the members, they started to roll out the chicken and egg production and brought in a steady stream of income for the group.
 
#334 ·
30 Cebu establishments receive DTI's 'Gold Bagwis' seal



DTI BAGWIS AWARD. Representatives of different establishments in Cebu show their Gold Bagwis Seal from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Friday (Sept. 11, 2020). The DTI conferred the award to 30 business establishments in Cebu for their efforts to uphold the rights and welfare of consumers and the practice of responsible business. (Photo courtesy of DTI-Cebu Provincial Office)

CEBU CITY – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Friday cited 30 business establishments in Cebu with its Bagwis Awards in recognition of their efforts to uphold the rights and welfare of consumers and the practice of responsible business.

DTI-Cebu provincial director Rose Mae Quiñanola said these establishments were able to practice good business ethics, adhere to suggested retail process and promote the welfare of their employees.

“The award shall be valid for three years from date of conferment. DTI will automatically revalidate this by reassessing that the establishment has consistently complied with the Bagwis parameters within three consecutive years,” Quiñanola added.

The recipients of the Gold Seal Award were Emcor Inc. (Lapu-Lapu), Isuzu Inc. Cebu and Mandaue, Seven Eleven (7/11) Pinamungajan and Buanoy, Balamban, Super Metro Lapu-lapu (Supermarket and Department Store), and Metro Mandaue (Supermarket and Department Store).
 
#335 ·
MSMEs see recovery in 3 to 6 months, survey reveals

Nearly half of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic expect to recover in three to six months as they implement strategies to sustain the demand of their products and services, a survey result indicated.

Michelle Llorente, policy analyst at United Nations Development Programme in the Philippines, bared the result of the second MSME value chain rapid response survey conducted by UNDP Philippines from July 13 to 23, indicating the Covid-19 impact on operations of the MSMEs.

“With the majority of the population encouraged to continue staying home despite the lifting of the ECQ [enhanced community quarantine], 81 percent of total respondents confirmed that demand for goods and services remains sluggish,” she said in a webinar organized by UNDP Philippines and Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) through the SIKAP MSME Recovery Hub.
 
#338 ·
Despite pandemic, poll says small businesses in the Philippines bullish of growth

Majority of small businesses in the Philippines remain confident that they will continue to grow amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, a survey says.

Around 88% of small and medium-sized enterprises are still confident of their growth in the next three years, according to a survey conducted by SAP-SE or SAP and Oxford Economics titled “Digital Resilient, and Experience-driven: How Small and Midsize Organizations Can Prepare for the New Economy.”

Moreover, 89% of the SMEs also adjusted their employees to work remotely or work at home due to the tough lockdowns implemented in the past months to supposedly help curb the number of COVID-19 infections.


For the rest of the Asia Pacific region, SAP continued to recognize the Philippines as one of the fastest-growing markets in the world amid the global health crisis.

Sixty-nine percent of these enterprises across the region have invested in IT and digital solutions to cope with the new working conditions.


Of these, 79% of local SMEs have also implemented the same changes for their workers.

SAP offered two solutions for local SMEs to help improve their businesses—the SAP Business One and the SAP Business ByDesign.
 
#340 ·
Businesses in the Philippines receive payment deferment

The move comes as about 90,000 businesses in the country remain closed due to the COVID-19 lockdown imposed by the government.

To provide businesses with more financial flexibility, the Social Security System (SSS) in the Philippines has provided employers and the self-employed until December 1 to remit their mandatory employee contributions to the state-run pension fund.

The extended cut-off data will cover workers’ dues from February to October if these were yet to be paid by their employers. Earlier, Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello III had also announced that it would be mandatory for all employers in the country to pay employees their 13th month pay on or before December 25 even if they are financially distressed.
 
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