CEBU CITY—Cebuanos, whose finances were severely affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, are set to get the much-needed help.

          The Cebu provincial government will roll out its micro-business assistance program on September 8, a move that intends to uplift the countryside, and assist displaced workers.

          Assistant Secretary Asteria Caberte of the Department of Trade and Industry Centrl Visayas (DTI 7) said DTI Region 7 will provide technical assistance to the province-initiated project.

          The DTI 7 will also assist in facilitating business registration for the business name, barangay micro-business enterprise registration, and the registration with the local government unit (LGU) for the mayor’s permit.

Caberte and DTI 7 representatives were on hand when the project was discussed in a recent meeting with Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia , officials of the Philippine Veterans Bank and Cebu sixth district Provincial Board Member Glenn Anthony Soco, the provincial board’s Committee on Commerce and Trade chairman.

Under the program, Cebuano workers, who were displaced from their domestic or international jobs, and residents, who belong to the lowest 20 percent income group, will be given a chance to start or recover their economic enterprises.

                    Acceptance of applications will be start both online and offline during the program.

          Qualified micro-entrepreneurs or beneficiaries will receive “negosyo kits” which will utilize coupons that can be used to redeem goods worth P5,000 or P10,000 as “seed capital”