Another of Gov. Gwen Garcia’s pet program called Sugbo Negosyo is on its way to getting institutionalized after a resolution endorsing the same passed first reading at the Provincial Board’s regular session on Monday, June 24.
Board Member Glenn Anthony Soco authored the proposed ordinance. He is a member of the program’s technical working group as chairman of the PB’s committee on commerce and industry.
Sugbo Negosyo is a 100-million-peso annually funded micro business assistance and mentorship program that is now on its third year of implementation.
It was first launched during the pandemic and aims to assist micro entrepreneurs get much needed capital boost and mentorship from successful Cebuano businessmen and DTI representatives.
Under the program, qualified micro-entrepreneur beneficiaries are screened and selected by the offices of the 17 Board Members and the Office of the Vice Governor.
This year, each qualified beneficiary, who should be in the business for at least 3 years, will receive P200,000 from the program, considerably up from the usual P10,000 aid in the previous seasons, in a bid to help micro entrepreneurs whose products are “a cut above the rest.”
The grand prize winner this year is a whooping P1 million, as the the third season of the program is aptly called SUGBO Negosyo Milyonaryo.
BM Soco stressed that the assistance from the program shall not be given in cash but through QR-coded cards which beneficiaries can use in redeeming pre-approved items in Capitol-partner stores.
“It will really be used based on their need list. Dili ni para gamiton ni para sa ilahang personal consumptions, but based on what their business needs to improve on,” BM Soco said.
The Bard Member said no other LGU in the country invests as much as the Cebu Provincial Government in helping its micro-entrepreneurs bring their business ventures to the next level. | via Quelly Marie B. Gutang, CNU Intern
