ILOILO City – To accelerate inclusive economic recovery in Western Visayas, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 6 is mobilizing local governments, entrepreneurs, and the public in a synchronized weeklong campaign to empower micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) — long regarded as the backbone of regional development and job creation.
Anchored on the theme “Asenso Negosyo, Angat Kabuhayan: Bagong Pilipinas!” the 2025 National MSME Development Week aims to boost the capabilities of MSMEs in adapting to new market demands, digitalization, and post-pandemic business challenges.
DTI-6 director Rachel Nufable emphasized the role of small businesses in sustaining growth and lifting communities out of poverty.
“This is a call to action to strengthen our local enterprises, because when MSMEs thrive, communities rise with them,” Nufable said.
The campaign features simultaneous activities across all six provinces and two highly urbanized cities of the region, with each DTI provincial office rolling out capacity-building programs, trade fairs, product innovation workshops, financial literacy seminars, and digital transformation training sessions from July 7 to 13.
DTI-Aklan
* July 7–13 – Enterprise Development Assistance/Negosyo Center Information Caravan
* July 8 – Product Development Workshop
* July 10 – Financial Management Training
DTI-Antique
* July 7–13 – Obra Antiqueño MSME Week Product Showcase
* July 8 – Provincial MSME Summit
DTI-Capiz
* July 7 – MSME Week Launching
* July 7–13 – Coffee and Cacao Festival (Year 3)
* July 8 – AI Basics and Familiarity Training
* July 9–11 – Youth Entrepreneurs’ Business Camp
DTI-Guimaras
* July 9–11 – Go Digital: Boosting MSME Growth
* July 10 – Marketing Capability Training for CARP ARBOs
DTI-Negros Occidental
* July 7–13 – Basic Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy Seminars (32 Batches)
* July 8 – Media Forum
* July 11 – Seminar on Fair Trade Practices and Trademarks
* July 18–25 – Negros Island and Siquijor Business Week
DTI-Iloilo
* July 4 – DTI-NC ACTSS (Advocacy Campaign Towards Strengthening Services to MSMEs in Barangays)
* July 4 – DTI Iloilo CAN (Consultancy, Advocacy, and Networking)
* July 10 – Marketplace Onboarding – Batch 2
* July 11 – Product Standardization Seminar: Flavors and Fusion – Trail Mix
* July 7–20 – ILOBEX/Iloilo Coffee Festival
DTI-6 said the events are expected to bring together stakeholders from the government, private sector, and the MSME community to foster collaboration and inclusivity, in line with the national goal of building a robust and competitive entrepreneurial sector./PN