Press Release
August 22, 2022

Villanueva: Stimulate MSMEs to boost local products

Senator Joel Villanueva said that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are keys to popularizing locally made products in the domestic and international markets, especially as the country's economy is recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The senator made this statement during this year's Made in the Philippines Product Week (August 17-23), who added that supporting MSMEs who produce local products boosts local employment, stimulates the economy, and instills hometown and national pride.

"Let's take for example the sweets and delicacies from Bulacan. There's a unique sense of pride that something that delicious can be made in your hometown by your kababayans, and shared throughout the country and the whole world. Every Filipino should feel that kind of pride," the senator said.

To this end, Villanueva filed Senate Bill No. 138, or the MSME Stimulus Act, which creates the MSME Growth Stimulus Program to extend assistance, strengthen, and facilitate the growth and development of MSMEs for regional job generation and preservation.

Villanueva said that the bill helps MSMEs become resilient and "disaster-proof", based on the lessons learned from the pandemic and recent economic crises.

"Most of our MSMEs took massive losses during the pandemic, leading to their closures and laying off employees. Now that the economy is opening up, our MSMEs need booster shots of government aid to keep local goods and services afloat and help MSMEs keep their employees," he said.

The proposed MSME Growth Stimulus Program provides interest-free loan programs through the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines.

S.B. No. 138 creates the MSME Stimulus Contingency Fund which can be implemented for priority job-generating industries affected by disasters, public health emergencies, armed conflict, and other related contingencies such as technological or policy-related disruptions.

The bill also mandates the Department of Finance through the Social Security System to provide wage subsidies to cover all or a portion of the wages of the employees of qualified MSMEs affected by emergencies described above.

"The MSME Growth Stimulus Program shows how much we believe and take pride in our local enterprises and entrepreneurs as crucial components in our economic recovery," Villaneuva said.

According to the Department of Trade and Industry, MSMEs comprise 99.5% of all businesses in the country, and generate 62.66% of the country's employment in 2020.


Villanueva: Pasiglahin ang MSMEs para palakasin ang produktong sariling atin

Sinabi ni Senador Joel Villanueva na susi sa pamamayagpag ng mga lokal na produkto sa pambansa at pandaigdigang merkado ang mga micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) ng bansa, ngayong umaahon na ang ekonomiya mula sa pandemya.

Ito ang naging pahayag ng senador ngayong Made in the Philippines Product Week (August 17-23), at sinabi rin niya na ang pagtangkilik sa lokal na produkto ng MSMEs ay nakakalikha ng trabaho, nakakapagpasigla ng ekonomiya, at nagbibigay ng "hometown" at "national pride" para sa mga Pilipino.

"Halimbawa na lang ang sweets at delicacies sa Bulacan. May sense of pride tayong nararamdaman mula sa ganitong kasarap na produktong gawa ng iyong mga kababayan mula sa iyong kinalakihang bayan at naibabahagi sa buong bansa at sa buong mundo. Ipagmalaki natin ang sariling atin!" sabi ng senador.

Dahil dito, inihain ni Villanueva ang ang MSME Stimulus Act, o Senate Bill No. 138, na nagtatatag ng MSME Growth Stimulus Program upang tulungan, palakasin, at palaguin ang pag-unlad ng mga MSME para rin lumikha at magsiguro ng trabaho sa mga rehiyon.

Sinabi ni Villanueva na tinutulungan ng panukalang batas na maging "resilient" at "disaster-proof" ang mga MSME, base sa mga karanasan sa pandemya at mga krisis sa ekonomiya.

"Marami sa ating mga MSME ang malubhang tinamaan ng pandemya, at ilan sa kanila ay nagsara at nagtanggal ng empleyado. Ngayong nagbubukas na muli ang ekonomiya, kailangan ng ating mga MSME ng "booster shot" na tulong mula sa gobyerno. Ito ay para mapanatiling dumadaloy ang lokal na mga produkto at serbisyo, at mapangalagaan ang trabaho ng mga empleyado ng mga MSME," sabi niya.

Ayon sa panukalang batas, nagbibigay ng interest-free loan programs ang MSME Growth Stimulus Program sa pamamagitan ng Land Bank of the Philippines at ng Development Bank of the Philippines.

Tinatatag rin nito ang MSME Stimulus Contingency Fund na maaring gamitin ng mga negosyo na apektado ng mga sakuna, public health emergencies, armadong tunggalian, at iba pang mga kaganapan gaya ng disruptions bunsod ng teknolohiya o polisiya.

Inaatasan rin ng S.B. 138 ang Department of Finance sa pamamagitan ng Social Security System na magbigay ng wage subsidies sa mga empleyado ng mga kwalipikadong MSMEs sa panahon ng kagipitan.

"The MSME Growth Stimulus Program shows how much we believe and take pride in our local enterprises and entrepreneurs as crucial components in our economic recovery," sabi ni Villaneuva.

Ayon sa Department of Trade and Industry na noong 2020, 99.5% ng mga negosyo sa bansa ay mga MSMEs, at 62.66% ng kabuuang trabaho sa bansa ay mula sa kanila.

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