The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 10 has just launched the first batch of participants for this year’s “Kapatid Mentor Me-Money, Market, Encounter” (KMME-MME) program in Cagayan De Oro City last March 7.
Fifty-two local businesses in the region have since joined the KMME-MME 2024 Batch 1, of which 10 are from Bukidnon, 9 from Camiguin, 10 from Lanao del Norte, 12 from Misamis Occidental, and 11 from Misamis Oriental.
The first batch of the KMME-MME Program will be running from March to May 2024.
Executives from DTI Region 10 and the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship together with some of the participants in the “Kapatid Mentor ME” program in Cagayan De Oro City
The program, which forms part of Project Kapatid, is an initiative of the DTI and the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE) to help micro and small enterprises (MSEs) through three key components:
- The Mentor ME (micro-entrepreneurs) program — is a coaching and mentoring approach where large corporations teach MSEs about the different aspects of business operations.
- The Adopt-an-SSF (Shared Service Facility) program — aims to help micro-entrepreneurs by providing them access to shared service facilities in their community.
- The Inclusive Business (IB) model — is where MSEs are linked to the value chains of large companies.
Since its inception in 2016, DTI Region 10 has already produced 1,012 mentees through this program.
In her welcome speech (which was read by Sophia Enriquez, DTI-10 Finance and Administrative Division Chief), DTI MSME Development Group Undersecretary Ma. Cristina A. Roque stated that their goal with the KMME is “to help equip mentees with skills needed to thrive in today’s market, fostering adaptability, innovation, and growth.”
For her part, Maricris Gabia, Business Development Division Chief of DTI-10, emphasized that “KMME is more than just a learning session; it is also a venue for the mentees to connect and build lasting business relationships.”
Main purpose of the “Kapatid Mentor ME” program
Starting way back in 2016, the Kapatid Mentor Me (KMME) program is a 10-module mentorship program where large corporations teach MSMEs (particularly ‘micro’ and ‘small businesses’) the different aspects of business operations.
The KMME program is designed to help micro and small entrepreneurs scale up their enterprises. It also aims to help spur economic activity and generate employment opportunities in the country, especially for mainstream OTOPreneurs (One Town One Product entrepreneurs) who are ready for business expansion.
Meanwhile, the Money, Market, Encounter (MME) is a supplementary program for KMME graduates.
Due to the pandemic, the two programs had to be integrated as the activity shifted virtually.
As a coaching and mentoring program, the KMME-MME hopes to upscale the country’s micro and small enterprises by leveraging the experiences of seasoned entrepreneurs in terms of running a business and helping mentees connect with potential funding sources.
It also aims to offer sharing of knowledge and strategies from mentors so mentees grow their customer base.