The Local Government Capability Development Division (LGCDD) of the Department of the Interior and Local Government – National Capital Region (DILG-NCR) conducted a series of roundtable discussions (RTD) with private and public sector partners titled “Strengthening the Resiliency of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in NCR.” The discussions took place in two segments: one with the private sector last August 4, 2023 and another one with Regional Line Agencies (RLAs) last August 10, 2023, both at the Astoria Plaza Hotel in the Ortigas Business District in Pasig City.
The RTDs are part of the preparatory activities leading up to the 2023 NCR’s Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Forum which will be held sometime at the end of August or early September.
The forum is in line with the policy objectives embodied in Republic Act 11032 or The Ease of Doing Business Law, which will aid in the crafting of a Regional Policy on Strengthening the Resiliency of MSMEs in NCR. The policies aim to improve the country’s overall global competitiveness.
In attendance for the RTD involving the private sector were representatives from: SM Prime Holdings, ARISE-Philippines, Business Continuity Managers Association of the Philippines, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philippine Business for Social Progress and DILG-NCR.
In her remarks before the private sector participants, DILG-NCR Regional Director Maria Lourdes L. Agustin, CESO III emphasized “the need to expand business resilience planning beyond crisis management and continuity issues.”
The said RTD concluded with a number of suggestions from the private sector dealing mainly with ways to encourage MSMEs to craft their Business Continuity Plans (BCPs). The discussion also provided a platform through which participants shared their observations regarding the realities on the ground and the perceived gaps in stakeholder capacities that need an appropriate policy response.
The second RTD with the RLAs saw the participation of: League of the Cities of the Philippines, Department of Science and Technology, Cooperative Development Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, Department of Public Works and Highways and DILG – Bureau of Local Government Development (DILG-BLGD)
DILG-NCR Assistant Regional Director Atty. Ana Lyn R. Baltazar-Cortez, CESO V, gave an overview of the RTD and the objectives it aims to achieve. “The DILG-NCR will always be a partner (to other agencies) in spearheading initiatives that drive economic growth and development in the community,” she said.
The ideas that were generated in the first RTD were consolidated with those from the second RTD and vetted based on workability considerations. Policy proposals and commitments of support from various participants in the RTDs were likewise curated by the DILG-NCR as a way forward to promote future collaborations among multiple stakeholders.