Lacson: Teen 'kangkong' chips entrepreneur to get help from Go Negosyo
Josh Mendez, the Cavite-based teen "kangkong" chips entrepreneur, is getting help from experts on how to market his products abroad.
Go Negosyo, an advocacy that promotes entrepreneurship, agreed to help 17-year-old Josh on the matter, after Senator Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson asked for their help.
"Mr. Joey, Mr. Elmer, baka pwede nating tulungan ang bata kasi napakalaki ng kanyang potential (Joey, Elmer, maybe we can help Josh because he has great potential)," Lacson told Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion and mentor Elmer Relente during the "Kandidatalks" program aired Wednesday on One PH.
"We cannot do away with requirements. Ang hinihingi ko lang maayudahan, ma-guide ang bata (All I ask is that Josh get the proper guidance)," he added.
Last March 5, Lacson visited Josh in Mendez, Cavite. He said he hoped Josh's success could be replicated but added the government must also do its part for this to come true.
Lacson noted Josh, who now has 100 employees and suppliers from all over, is trying to market his product to Canada, Japan and United Arab Emirates (UAE) but has run into problems involving various requirements from government agencies.
”That’s just a microcosm of what’s happening in the entire country," he said.
For his part, Concepcion said they are willing to help Josh.
"Kung pwede nyo ibigay ang pangalan ng entrepreneur para kami ang tutulong sa kanya para umunlad ang negosyo niya (Can you give us the name of the entrepreneur so we can help him grow his business)," he said, adding Elmer would help mentor Josh.
Lacson has vowed to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) hit hard by the pandemic to get back on their feet.
Among his plans for them are: comprehensive and targeted fiscal stimulus packages; eviction and foreclosure moratoriums, “lower-interest-bigger loans” programs from state-run financial institutions; and employee-retention incentives to encourage enterprises to literally go back to business.
Lacson is also proposing a vigorous “Made in the Philippines” campaign to encourage buying and consuming more of our locally-made products and even services.