00:00They are the spine that keeps the economy upright and afloat, given their numbers that comprise over 95% of all business ventures nationwide.
00:09Hence, MSMEs should be given all the chances and reasons to thrive, let alone survive.
00:14Our Rod Lagusan on the police for more MSMEs in the tourism industry in the ongoing GoNegosha Summit.
00:23The Philippines have a lot to offer when it comes to tourism.
00:26And with this, there is plenty of opportunities to grow the economy and improve the quality of life of Filipinas.
00:32In a speech by the President, which was read by Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco,
00:37he emphasized the important role of micro, small, and medium enterprises in strengthening the country's tourism.
00:43Last year, around 5.45 million international inbound visitors were on record,
00:49and in just the first four months of the current year, there are already over 2 million documented international visitor arrivals.
00:55He stressed this is proof that participation of each and every stakeholder is crucial.
01:00These numbers pose a challenge for us to translate these gains into tangible benefits.
01:06Benefits for our people, our communities, and our economy.
01:11That is why, in its third installment, this tourism summit has shifted its focus to become a venue for learning, expansion, and community building for our local entrepreneurs.
01:24According to the President, to make the visitors' visit to the country more memorable and unique,
01:29services, experiences, or products of MSMEs should always be improved.
01:34In relation to this, another GoNegosha Tourism Summit was held this year at a mall in Paranaque City.
01:40It's aimed to highlight the opportunities for MSMEs in the tourism industry.
01:44This includes panel discussions and inspirational talks from successful entrepreneurs in the industry
01:50and resource persons from the government and private sector.
01:53The President hopes the summit will ultimately help in promotion of tourism.
01:58More MSMEs, more jobs.
02:03More jobs, more powerful consumers.
02:10Which leads to more businesses being set up.
02:16And that is what we want to see.
02:19To the students here, we only have one country.
02:25We have to do our very best.
02:29My advice to you is you've taken the right course.
02:34The opportunities in tourism is immense.
02:38For the DOT's part, having private sector and government coordination is vital, just like the summit itself.
02:44Provide opportunities for our small and medium enterprises to first expand their business.
02:50Second, to understand and be guided by government regulations
02:56as well as for the government to know how else it can liberalize its policies
03:01so that our MSMEs will grow even further.
03:05According to the Secretary, it is important to get the insights of MSMEs such as the challenges they are facing.
03:11Rod Laguced, from the National TV, for a new and better Philippines.
