The Kapatid Mentor ME (KMME) program, a public-private partnership initiative of DTI and the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship – Go Negosyo, is aimed at enhancing the entrepreneurial capacity of micro and small enterprises by providing them with improved access to mentorship, financial resources, and market opportunities.
Since the KMME program was launched in the region in September 2016, DTI 11 has already produced a total of 51 graduates, including the latest batch, who graduated last month.
During the virtual culmination ceremony, DTI 11 recognized May Chel B. Batoon of Infinity O-Shop Online Store from Davao del Norte; Aquilla M. Ganzon of MayQuil Food Product Trading from Davao City; and Krishna Pasalo-Orbina of Inyam Pintuan Asbang of Multipurpose Cooperative (IPAMCO) from Davao del Sur. They were picked as the top 3 based on their overall rating when they presented their respective Business Improvement Plans (BIPs).
DTI 11 Regional Director Maria Belenda Q. Ambi shared her optimism about this latest feat by the participating micro and small enterprises.
"We celebrate the success of our 51 mentees who have completed their KMME journey. With the right skills and knowledge, they successfully hurdled over 12 weeks of seminars, mentoring sessions, and the crafting of their BIPs. We envision our mentee graduates to take the lead in the region’s efforts toward progress,” the regional trade chief said. “We are one with them as they strive to continue operating and become a catalyst of growth."
For his part, DTI 11 Assistant Regional Director Romeo L. Castañaga commended the mentee-graduates for their consistency and hardwork.
“Their ability to strike a balance between the day-to-day operations of their business and the valuable insights gained from the KMME program is inspiring. It’s evident that they understand the importance of continuous learning and are invested in the long-term success of both themselves and their business,” he stated.
Meanwhile, one of mentee graduates, Mr. Jay Yambot of Monching Footwear Manufacturing, shared how the mentorship program helped his business and his perspective as an entrepreneur. According to him, the KMME program sparked his entrepreneurial passion by fostering strategic decision-making and cultivating a positive attitude toward challenges.
As DTI 11 encourages more micro and small enterprises to participate in the KMME program by becoming mentees, the office is optimistic that more success stories will be unveiled in the coming days as more graduates start to reap the benefits of the DTI-PCE joint initiative.
The graduation of the 51 mentees last November 24 was graced by DTI-Regional Operations Group Undersecretary Blesila A. Lantayona and PCE-Go Negosyo founder Jose Ma. A. Conception III. (PR/DTI 11)