Photo Release

DTI budget deliberation: Sen. Sonny Angara, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, during the continuation of the hybrid marathon plenary session Wednesday, November 18, 2020, defends the proposed 2021 budget of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). One of the issues discussed was the DTI’s Covid 19 Assistance to Restart Enterprises (CARES) that aims to help entrepreneurs get back on their feet by offering loans of up to P500,000. According to Angara, of the P10 billion appropriated for the program under the Bayanihan 2, P1 billion has already been released as of November 18 and 1,660 loan applications have been approved. The DTI has received about 26,000 loan applications. (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB)