The Capiz SME Center recently got the nod of the Philippine-Australian Community Assistance Program (PACAP) for a grant-funding assistance amounting to P2, 205,588.00 for its project proposal that was designed assist small and medium enterprises in the province.
The project proposal is in support to the project that has grouped local SMEs into the Alliance to Uplift SMEs of Capiz (AUSCap). ASUCap is the brainchild of the Provincial Small and Medium Enterprise Development Council (PSMEDC) through the Capiz SME Center .
It was conceptualized to attain the vision of providing efficient, effective and quality service/assistance to the SMEs and other target groups in order to spur the economic growth and development of Capiz.
The grant was approved by PACAP along with those of six local SME sub-projects worth P9,803,082.68 million that include the following: Capiz Small Coconut Farmers Marketing Cooperative (CASCOFAMCO), p1,995,500.00; Progressive Women ARBs MPC, P1,527,008.68; Mambusao Banana Planters MPC, P1,780,825.00; Datu Bangkaya Traders MPC, P1,691,749.00; Capiz Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Inc., P1,504,500.00; and, Dao Federation of Small Farmers MPC, P1,303,500.00.
These sub-projects are engaged in micro-enterprises that qualified them under the bilateral development program of Australia and the Philippines that supports community-initiated, economically sustainable, ecologically sound and gender sensitive development efforts.
One of these projects, the Village Level Integrated Coconut Processing Project of CASCOFAMCO at Barangay Ondoy in Ivisan town was launched last August 29, 2006. Other NGO-beneficiaries have commenced operation based on the grant agreement signed with PACAP.
PACAP is a component of Australia ’s Development Cooperation Program under the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). The developed nation “down under” is one of the most significant sources of bilateral aid to the Philippines .
The SME Center looks forward to major development in the status of SMEs in Capiz.
It will initiate/implement programs and projects that would improve the managerial competence of the entrepreneurs, ensure product sustainability and provide relevant and timely market information needed for business decisions.
Notably, the Center will focus its support on product development and aggressive marketing strategies. As the proponent organization, it is responsible in supervising and coordinating the activities of the other six NGO-beneficiaries.
The Center will ensure that PACAP policies and guidelines are properly observed while individual NGO’s goals and objectives are realized.
Although the project duration is only 18 months under PACAP, project sustainability is ascertained by the mechanisms that will be set in place to help ensure that the Capiz SME Center will be self-liquidating in its future operation.
Moreover, the Provincial Small and Medium Enterprise Development Council, provincial government of Capiz and DTI-Capiz have made a commitment to maintain the project in order to offer continuous services/assistance to SMEs. (VDS)
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