marketing and financial concerns, among others.
What is the significance of this program?
The Philippine government promotes entrepreneurship as embodied in RA 9501,
otherwise known as the "Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSMEs). In its declaration of policy, the law articulates that the “State shall
recognize the specific needs of the MSMEs and shall undertake to promote
entrepreneurship, support entrepreneurs, encourage the establishments of
MSMEs and ensure their continuing viability and growth and thereby attain
countryside industrialization . . . “
The discipline of entrepreneurship as a subject or a degree is offered by
universities and colleges offering business and management courses. Most of
these courses complement the classroom learning method with the “practicum”
or the “on-the-job” experience which allow students the opportunities to be
immersed and to observe real world business operations.
Encouraging country-side entrepreneurship is one of the major thrusts of the
current administration of the Province of Cebu. Similarly, the Mandaue Chamber
of Commerce and Industry has one of its corporate social responsibility projects
extensding assistance to micro and small entrepreneurs.
The partnerships between the various participating universities and the selected
countryside entrepreneurs are seen to be benefit all parties since the students
will be exposed to, and allowed to act as consultants to the partner-entrepreneurs
and in the process learn from the interaction with the entrepreneurs. Likewise
the entrepreneurs enjoy the assistance of the students, and indirectly the
assistance from the students’ mentors and faculty.
The schools-enterprise partnerships shall likewise profit from the technical
assistance and support from the Province of Cebu MSME Council and the
Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry, these organizations being the
project administrators.
Who administers the program?
The PC MSMEC and MCCI serve as program administrators, providing directions
and advice when needed, monitoring and documenting the progress of the
partnerships, and acting as conduit for any forms of assistance (financial or
otherwise) from the Province of Cebu and/or Mandaue Chamber of Commerce
and Industry and other donors.
The PC MSMEC has a working committee who takes charge of the project
operations such as preparing the program of activities, selecting the
entrepreneurs, partnering these entrepreneurs with the participating schools,
providing the needed logistical and technical support from the PC MSMEC,
ensuring the on-time operations of the activities and the delivery of the expected
outputs and documentation.