No need to import goods if MSMEs in PH are strong—PBBM
By Raymund Antonio and Raymund Antonio
There would be no need to import goods if the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are strong enough to address the demands of the local market, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos said on Wednesday, April 19.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (Photo from Presidential Communications Office)
The Chief Executive was in Brgy. Dulong Bayan Covered Court in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan on Wednesday morning for the first Kadiwa Ng Pangulo (KNP) program there.
He expressed hope that MSMEs would grab the opportunity of partnering with the government to get access to a bigger market through better marketing strategies, one of which is the KNP.
Noting that MSMEs were the most adversely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, Marcos lamented that the losses these businesses incurred during the pandemic were greatly felt in the economy.
“Lahat ito ay talagang aking palagay ay magiging mahalaga para sa pagpatibay ng ating ekonomiya. Pag matibay ang ating mga maliliit na negosyo ay palagay ko hindi na natin kailangan mag- import. Dahil ang tao ay bibili na sa local (All of these, in my opinion, are important in the strengthening of our economy. When small businesses are strong, I think we don’t need to import because people will buy local),” he said.
The President is confident that the country’s MSMEs are capable of meeting the demands of the market and producing high-quality products.
“Kaya naman natin. Ang problema lang naman—kailangan ayusin diyan ay ‘yung mga packaging, ‘yung mga marketing. Lahat yan doon kami papasok, doon kami tutulong (We can do it. The only problem is in the packaging, the marketing. That’s where we are going to help),” Marcos added.
He stressed that Kadiwa outlets are cheaper because the government shoulders logistics costs, including the controversial fees incurred through middlemen.
“Yung pamahalaan naman hindi kumikita. Kaya’t ‘yung savings na ‘yun, pinapasa kaagad sa ating mga namimili (The government doesn’t earn, so those savings are passed on to the buyers),” he said.
The President assured that there would be more Kadiwa outlets across the country because they are also platforms for MSMEs to sell their products.
