By Manuel T. Cayon
Reporter
DAVAO CITY—The Canadian government said it would pour in P45 million more to finance the extension of its flagship program for private enterprise in the Philippines that would focus on ensuring the sustainability of the businesses of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The program, Private Enterprise Accelerated Resource Linkages 2 (Pearl 2), covers the SMEs spread in the entire country, with one university for each island group to provide the “knowledge component” in ensuring sustainability, information and dissemination of the program, said Ed Sutherland, project director.
The Ateneo de Davao University was the latest “to enter the Pearl 2 Production Examination Program,” along with La Salle University for Luzon, and the University of San Carlos for the Visayas area.
Peter Sutherland, Canadian ambassador to the Philippines, said that the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) would be included in the extended Pearl 2 project owing to its vast improvement in governance and its capability to utilize already its corporate powers.
The ambassador said that the improvement of the ARMM local governments was aided by a separate project, the Local Government Support Program of the Canadian International Development Agency.
It has been providing “capability-building” assistance to local officials in the ARMM provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi during the last 15 years, he added.
Ed Sutherland said that the Pearl 2 project would end in November 2008, instead of the previous timetable of November 2007 prior to the new funding. He said that the extension of the project was prompted by its “very bright return” for very low funding.
During the last three years, for instance, the Pearl 2 project has helped generate about one million jobs “due to the improved performance of the SMEs.”
“If we have the exact figures from all the SMEs and business associations that we have helped, this number [one million jobs] may be an underestimation, in fact,” he said.
The Pearl project helps business associations and business chambers provide professional and entrepreneurial skills in management and operations.
Ed Sutherland said that the Pearl 2 project does not provide funds for any particular livelihood project, but for the capacity improvement of businesses to improve their viability and sustainability.
He said that between 50 to 60 business associations have been covered by the project, “with each association having several more small businesses as members.”
Business Mirror
November 17, 2006
1 comment:
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