Micro entrepreneurs in Valenzuela get cash gifts

FILE: Valenzuela City Government Center (city hall) along McArthur Highay (N1), Malinta, Valenzuela City. (Photo by Patrick Roque, CC BY-SA 4.0)

MANILA – Some 55 micro-entrepreneurs in Valenzuela have received gift checks amounting to PHP8,000 each from the city government to help them revive and start anew their livelihood amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

The city’s Local Economic and Investment Promotions Office (LEIPO), in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), targets to aid entrepreneurs whose businesses were forced to close due to the health crisis.

“During the pandemic, several businesses were forced to close and mass layoffs occurred. The most affected in the business sector are the micro-entrepreneurs or also called self-employed persons, including shop owners, household businesses, and street vendors, who heavily rely on their micro-businesses,” the city government said in a statement. “With huge changes in the deliverables following health safety precautions and protocols due to the Covid-19 pandemic, businesses slowly became vulnerable to meet their profits.

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Apart from cash assistance, the beneficiaries will also undergo training and seminars on business planning and development under the ‘Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa’ (PBG) program.

The city government said the program allows the micro-entrepreneurs “to start anew and rebrand their business products suitable for the pandemic.”

“In a time where the future is at stake for micro-businesses, Valenzuela City will be behind micro-entrepreneurs to help them bounce back from their loss. More programs and activities will be conducted to help them overcome the pandemic,” it said.

The city government urged residents to contact the LEIPO at telephone number 8352-1000 local 1806, for more questions about Valenzuela’s various programs during the pandemic.