A non-profit advocacy group has reiterated the need for more mentors from various business groups to achieve its goal to help at least 200,000 small businesses in the country by 2028.

Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion stressed the crucial role of mentors in their plan for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country this year until 2028 during a meeting with the heads of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) chapters in the National Capital Region last Feb.12.

“The MSME sector is one of the platforms being pushed aggressively as a driver for the country’s growth, and as we roll out more mentoring of the MSMEs, we will need mentors coming from the respected business groups,” Concepcion said.

According to Trade Undersecretary Cristina Roque, who is heading the newly formed Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Group, if the country manages to uplift only 10 percent of MSMEs, “it will uplift the economy and this will be the success of the country.”

PCCI National President Nina Mangio echoed Roque's statement saying, "mentoring is helping MSMEs."

She added that "our members see this whenever they attend the events and we feel proud that we have a platform to help them."

Concepcion announced recently that the non-profit group will intensify its partnerships with the country’s largest business groups to align with the government's push to drive development through MSMEs.

Go Negosyo also announced at the beginning of the year that it plans to help at least 200,000 MSMEs by 2028 by giving them access to the three M’s of entrepreneurship – namely money (capital), markets, and mentoring – through its own programs, as well as in partnership with government and other members of the private sector.

The programs include public entrepreneurship mentoring events, structured learning courses, online seminars, national summits, and programs focused on youth, women, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), tourism, and digital technology.