Go Negosyo, CCCI give Cebu's MSMEs a boost

GO Negosyo and the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) recently met to discuss how to ramp up the province's micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) landscape.

Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion III met with the think tanks last March 5 to strategize making Cebu's vibrant MSME more active and inspiring for aspiring entrepreneurs in this part of the Central Visayas.

Go Negosyo committed to bringing more of its entrepreneurship activities to Cebu, while the CCCI also laid down its plans for Cebu Business Month.

"Our activities in Cebu have always been met with so many MSMEs eager to receive free entrepreneurship mentoring, so we look forward to having more of our activities there," Concepcion said.

Go Negosyo's events and activities in Cebu have been consistently well attended, with MSMEs from around the province coming in droves to the free entrepreneurship mentoring events.

The CCCI delegation, led by its re-elected President Jay Yuvallos, noted that the CCCI has more than 800 members who can step in as mentors to the attendees.

"We will make sure that CCCI members evolve and grow, especially the MSMEs, because if they grow, automatically everybody grows," said Yuvallos.

He also revealed plans for educational tours for MSMEs to help them learn more about the operations of large corporations.

In recent years, Go Negosyo has held in Cebu its Tourism Summit in 2023, and, in 2024, the free entrepreneurship mentoring roadshow 3M on Wheels and the senior high school entrepreneurship mentoring event Youthpreneur, which it conducts together with the Department of Education (DepEd).

Its KapatidMentor ME program, held alongside the Department of Trade and Industry, has graduated nearly a hundred participants from the region, while its online-based mentoring events regularly attract Cebu-based MSMEs.

The CCCI said MSMEs play a big part in the agenda of the new board.

It said it is focused on expanding its reach and stakeholder base through the creation of alliances across several areas, including the academe and employers, power and utilities, transport and logistics, the MICE industry, and sustainability and the environment.