DOLE-13 grants P13.1M to 31 local entrepreneurs, benefiting 502 workers
BUTUAN CITY - A total of thirty-one proponents under the Department of Labor and Employment Adjustment Measures Program (DOLE-AMP) of DOLE Caraga, in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) Caraga, signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on December 16 and 17 at the DTI conference room and VJs Restobar, in this city.
The agreement aims to assist 31 identified micro, small, and medium business establishments with approved projects totaling P13.1 million, benefiting 502 workers. Of these 31 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), 23 are micro establishments identified by DTI Caraga, while eight are productivity partners of RTWPB Caraga.
This initiative provides assistance to the formal business sector to strengthen business stability and promote workforce growth, addressing the vulnerability of workers and enterprises to economic disruptions.
Most of the approved proposals fall under key program components, including capacity building measures, business enhancement and adaptation measures, and product development and innovation measures.
During the event, DOLE also awarded checks totaling P1.040 million to two proponents: DLT Rooftop Restobar with P400,000, and P640,000 for Allen Stick and Trading.
DOLE Caraga Director Joffrey M. Suyao underscored the critical role of the formal sector in improving both employer and worker productivity, sustainability, and welfare.
“Aside from the informal sector, you, the business owners, are also our DOLE clients. The AMP is not a loan but a grant from DOLE to assist you, our proponents. Without you, there would be no workers. Through this assistance, you will enhance job preservation, improve productivity, and generate employment,” Dir. Suyao stated.
The collaborative efforts of DOLE, DTI, and RTWPB aim to elevate micro establishments into small or medium enterprises. These medium business owners will help sustain and generate employment, driving economic growth in Caraga Region.
The DOLE-AMP is one of DOLE's flagship programs designed to provide assistance to micro, small, and medium enterprises, enhancing their capacity for job preservation and generation, improve human resources and enterprise viability and resilience, raise levels of productivity and competitiveness, and actively contribute to the promotion of decent and sustainable work opportunities. (KKVD, LIO/DOLE-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
