Facebook Pixel Why MSMEs and microfinance matter | Manila Bulletin - newspaper - इस कहानी को Magzter.com पर पढ़ें
मैगज़्टर गोल्ड के साथ असीमित हो जाओ

मैगज़्टर गोल्ड के साथ असीमित हो जाओ

10,000 से अधिक पत्रिकाओं, समाचार पत्रों और प्रीमियम कहानियों तक असीमित पहुंच प्राप्त करें सिर्फ

$149.99
 
$74.99/वर्ष

कोशिश गोल्ड - मुक्त

Why MSMEs and microfinance matter

Manila Bulletin

|

August 25, 2025

On Aug. 18, 2025, Malacañang reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to strengthening micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through the ongoing implementation of the MSME Development Plan 2023-2028. Speaking at the Presidential Awards for Outstanding MSMEs, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin conveyed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s vision of creating a business climate that promotes innovation, expanded market access, and stronger competitiveness for MSMEs nationwide.

This renewed push recognizes a critical reality: MSMEs make up 99 percent of all businesses in the Philippines and employ the majority of Filipino workers. Yet, many remain underfunded and vulnerable to shocks. For them, access to finance is not simply about capital — it is about survival, opportunity, and dignity. On the ground, microfinance has been the bridge that turns government policy into personal transformation.

Drying fish, building resilience

In Atimonan, Quezon, Alexander Amado’s days begin before sunrise. For more than 30 years, he has produced dried fish under the harsh sun. Though a B.S. Education graduate, he chose entrepreneurship over teaching, finding fulfillment in sustaining a business with his own hands.

On good days, he sells all 30 kilos he dries, with his products reaching as far as Manila. But storms and unpredictable weather often threaten his livelihood. When capital was tight in 2015, Alexander turned to a microfinance-oriented bank for support. Through the years, access to microfinance has helped stabilize his business operations.

“In this kind of business, aside from capital, it’s hard work and perseverance that truly matter,” he reflects. His story embodies the resilience of countless Filipino microentrepreneurs who persevere against uncertainty, sustained by both grit and financial access.

A Tausug mother’s dream

Manila Bulletin

यह कहानी Manila Bulletin के August 25, 2025 संस्करण से ली गई है।

हजारों चुनिंदा प्रीमियम कहानियों और 10,000 से अधिक पत्रिकाओं और समाचार पत्रों तक पहुंचने के लिए मैगज़्टर गोल्ड की सदस्यता लें।

क्या आप पहले से ही ग्राहक हैं?

Manila Bulletin से और कहानियाँ

Manila Bulletin

DOTr de-risks NSCR with ADB credit shield

The Philippines is planning to borrow up to $800 million from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as a partial credit guarantee (PCG) to ensure timely payments to the winning operator of North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR).

time to read

2 mins

March 2, 2026

Manila Bulletin

Manila Bulletin

PAL’s Manila-Chicago nonstop nears takeoff

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is seeking expedited approval from the United States (US) Department of Transportation (DOT to launch nonstop flights between Manila and Chicago for the upcoming summer season.

time to read

1 mins

March 2, 2026

Manila Bulletin

BIR shifts from taxing to dismantling POGOs

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has pivoted from taxing to dismantling the country’s offshore gaming industry, formalizing the enforcement phase of the total ban signed into law by President Marcos four months ago.

time to read

2 mins

March 2, 2026

Manila Bulletin

PH vows 'concrete deliverables' to promote, protect human rights in ASEAN

The Philippines pledged to pursue “concrete deliverables” to strengthen the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and advance the promotion and protection of human rights in the region as it assumed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Chairship for 2026.

time to read

1 mins

March 2, 2026

Manila Bulletin

Manila Bulletin

No Filipino casualties so far in Middle East attacks—Marcos

President Marcos assured the public that no Filipino has been reported killed or injured amid the escalating exchanges between Israel, the United States, and Iran in the Middle East.

time to read

5 mins

March 2, 2026

Manila Bulletin

Manila Bulletin

Iran's supreme leader killed in major attack by US and Israel

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack by Israel and the United States, Iranian state media confirmed early Sunday, throwing the future of the Islamic Republic into doubt and raising the risk of regional instability.

time to read

6 mins

March 2, 2026

Manila Bulletin

Manila Bulletin

Gov't spending efficiency plummets

Government agencies began the year with the sharp contraction in spending efficiency, utilizing less than half of their available cash allocations as of January and raising concerns over the pace of public service delivery.

time to read

2 mins

March 2, 2026

Manila Bulletin

Hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded by flight disruptions after attack on Iran

America and Israel's attack on Iran disrupted flights across the Middle East and beyond Saturday as countries around the region closed their airspace and key airports that connect Europe, Africa and the West to Asia were directly hit by strikes.

time to read

4 mins

March 2, 2026

Manila Bulletin

Manila Bulletin

Philippine Space Agency deploys satellite mapping to protect Palawan's ecosystems and Tubbataha's coral reefs

The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) has signed five-year agreements with two of the country's most important environmental authorities to bring satellite-derived mapping technology to bear on conservation efforts in Palawan and the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park.

time to read

2 mins

March 2, 2026

Manila Bulletin

Unbeaten Tamaraws

FEU sweeps Adamson; Blue Eagles escape Green Spikers

time to read

1 mins

March 2, 2026

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size