Four Negosyo Centers in Negros Occidental have been recognized as among the country’s top performing facilities, according to the Negosyo Center Monitoring System (NCMS) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Engiemar Tupas, DTI-Negros Occidental coordinator for Negosyo Center, said on Monday, December 3, the inclusion of the four facilities in the list is a validation that Negosyo Centers in the provinces are doing well in bringing the services of the agency closer to the stakeholders.

These are the Negosyo Centers located in the cities of Bacolod, Kabankalan and Victorias, and town of Hinigaran, which are among the top 50 centers, based on the number of clients assisted and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) served from January to July 2018.

The Negosyo Center in Bacolod City was in ninth place with 6,729 clients assisted; Kabankalan City, 33rd with 3,034 clients; Hinigaran, 45th with 2,210 clients; and Victorias City, 47th, with 1,982 clients.

Tupas, a senior trade and industry development specialist of DTI-Negros Occidental, said the clients served include mostly MSMEs availing entrepreneurial, product development, and business trainings.

These services are on top of the registration services for trademark and for Barangay Micro Business Enterprise, he added.

“We continue to work on having dynamic and efficient Negosyo Centers. These facilities are positioned to really provide MSMEs access to DTI services,” Tupas said.

Of the 100 Negosyo Centers nationwide, 22 are in Negros Occidental, including the six opened this year — in Binalbagan, Cadiz City and Escalante City, San Enrique, Pontevedra, and Talisay City.

Eight Negosyo Centers were opened last year, including those in the towns of Isabela, Hinoba-an, La Castellana, Cauayan, E.B. Magalona and the cities of Himamaylan, Bago, and Sipalay.

The Negros First Negosyo Center at the Provincial Capitol Complex in Bacolod City was opened in 2015 along with those in the cities of Kabankalan and Sagay.

The establishment of Negosyo Centers is provided under the Republic Act 10644, or the Go Negosyo Act.

A Negosyo Center provides MSMEs the ease of doing business and facilitates access to grants and other forms of financial assistance, and shared service facilities, among others. (PNA)