Batac, Ilocos Norte—Keeping up with the fast-changing economic strategies geared towards global competitiveness, the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) based in this town launched on April 21 the Development Bank of the Philippines’ (DBP) Sustainable Partnership for Energizing Entrepreneurship Development (SPEED), a joint venture of several government agencies and private institutions primarily aimed at encouraging the growth and development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The SPEED project has been designed to further empower Filipino entrepreneurs by providing them with more convenient and efficient access to market information, technology research and development, and credit and technical assistance. A key element of this project is the establishment of Business Assistance Centers (BAC) in pilot areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. These centers would serve as “one-stop shop” for SMEs, where support services such as e-services, business counseling, project development, and financial advisory would all be available.

This project is in line with DBP’s thrust of sustaining at least three million entrepreneurs by 2010, and with the government earmarking P10 billion for the micro and SME sector, the SPEED project is expected to contribute in accelerating the efficiency in the delivery of credit and technical assistance to micro businesses and SMEs.

MMSU has been chosen along with four other state universities to partake in the initial 11 SPEED-BAC program which is expected to fully operational by the first quarter of this year.

Other educational institutions also involve in this project include Benguet State University, Pampanga Agricultural College, Camarines Sur State Agricultural College, Aklan State University, and Central Philippine University.

Carmelo Esteban, MMSU-DBP e-Business Assistance Center (e-BAC) manager said that each of the BACs will serve as the venue for the consolidation and deployment of the resources and services that each of the SPEED partner institutions will contribute to the program to enable eligible SMEs to have a seamless access to the credit facilities and other support services that are available to them under the said DBP program.

MMSU’s e-BAC, which is located at the University Training Center, is manned by at least one representative of SPEED partner institutions and agencies including the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Medium and Small-Scale Industries Coordinated Action Program II (MASICAP), and the Alliance of Philippine Partners in Enterprise Development (APPEND).

As a DBP service unit, Esteban said the center is planning to consolidate and register all small and medium enterprises in Ilocos Norte by conducting regular trainings and seminars on how to improve their businesses. He also invited all interested parties to contact their offices to avail of their services.

The e-BAC’ address is e-Business Assistance Center, MMSU, Batac, 2906, Ilocos Norte. The said center may also be reached through telephone number (077)-792-32501, mobile phone number (0919)-715-5381 and (0920)-512-5647, or at e-mail address mmsu_estpud@yahoo.com.

Leilanie G. Adriano