Last September 6, 2023 marked the culmination of the first run of HABI, a collaboration between the University of the Philippines Visayas Office of Continuing Education and Pahinungod (UPV-OCEP) and Pitch Strategies & Consultancy, Inc., a local boutique marketing consultancy firm based in Iloilo City.
HABI: Harnessing Business Ideas for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) is a 5-part capacity-building training program which ran on August 2, 9, 16, 23, and September 6 in Jordan, Guimaras.
The program is intended to teach MSMEs the basics of Marketing and the role of cultural preservation and promotion in local industries in the present-day business era. It also aims to increase visibility and exposure of micro-entrepreneurs, artisans, and their products through social media platforms as well as to foster linkages through trade events and other distribution channels.
MSMEs play a critical role in the local and national economy as they keep the industry moving by creating job and income opportunities for the growing labor force. It is likewise a venue for Filipino craftsmanship and ingenuity to prosper. However, one of the biggest challenges of the Philippine entrepreneurial ecosystem is the lack of formal training and education for the requisite skills of developing, managing, and growing a business venture. Capacity building interventions are needed in order to provide support for these local businesses to thrive.
HABI is a CSR project of Pitch after being awarded with a Kickstart Grant Fund from a pitching competition organized by UMWAD Western Visayas to help them grow as a startup company. The training program is also in partnership with the Guimaras Provincial Economic Development Office (PEDO). The training beneficiaries are indigenous weavers, local artisans, crafters, and small enterprise owners in the Province of Guimaras.
The program’s resource persons who conducted the lecture workshop series are UP Visayas faculty members and subject matter experts in their respective fields - Prof. Frances Anthea Redison from the Center of West Visayan Studies, Mr. Oscar Jinon Jr., Ms. Rowelle Serilo, and Ms. Pearl Gladys Diano from the College of Management, Prof. Frediezel De Leon and Ms. Mary Ann Sedero of CM SEEDS TBI, and Prof. Katherine Valencia and Mr. Jose Ruel Garcia from the Division of Humanities, College of Arts and Sciences.
A second run of the program is slated for the first quarter of 2024. Moving forward, the Office of Continuing Education and Pahinungod (OCEP), as a Public Service and Extension arm of UPV, shall continue to fulfill its mandate which is to develop and deliver relevant continuing education programs and to provide community-oriented services to the public.
