In light of the week-long celebration of local enterprises in the country, a regional office of the Department of Trade and Industry is calling on the public to support local entrepreneurs and farmers.
DTI Region 10 (Northern Mindanao) on Monday asked Filipinos to refrain “from asking discount on products made with hard work and love by our local entrepreneurs.”
“Support our local entrepreneurs. Support our local farmers,” the regional office said in a caption of its Facebook post on Monday.
“If we are willing to buy at full price the items sold by celebrities who are making millions a year, we should also be willing to pay at full price the items produced by our local small business owners who are struggling to earn a million in a year,” its Facebook post reads.
“Support our local entrepreneurs. Support our local farmers. Don’t ask for discount,” it added.
DTI is celebrating the National MSME Month in July with the theme “Makabagong MSMEs, Bagong Pag-asa Laban sa Pandemya.”
MSME stands for micro, small, and medium enterprises.
This year’s celebration aims to “highlight innovative industry and government approaches that may help our MSMEs’ business operations navigate toward a ‘better normal,'” DTI Region 10 said.
The MSME’s economic recovery is deemed vital since the sector reportedly comprises over 90% of Philippine businesses and employs about 63% of the local workforce.
It also contributes 40% to the country’s gross domestic product or GDP.
