www.smedsep.ph What's New as of October 2007

[Dela Cruz Ben Arvin GTZ PH]

This is the Monthly Email Newsletter of the DTI-GTZ Private Sector Development (SMEDSEP) Program.
Visit our website at www.smedsep.ph for more information.

 

As of October 2007

The SMEDSEP team has a new Junior Technical Expert, Hanna Bucher. She is of Japanese-German origin and grew up in Manila. After her Bachelors degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics in York, a Masters degree in Development Studies in London, and several internships, she has now happily returned to her hometown.

Her tasks are to support the Programme Manager Anja Gomm as well as individual projects and components.

During October 2007, three new interns arrived from Germany to contribute to the work of SMEDSEP for the next six months:

Julian Ackermann, 24 years old and a student of business administration, especially in finance, supports Dante Portula in the Financial Sector Development. His specific tasks are the analysis and monitoring of loan portfolio of the partner banks and the assistance in the preparation of the Microinsurance Innovations Project.

Julian is based in Cebu.

The second intern, Lucas Bauernfeind, is based in Iloilo and will support Lorenzo Templonuevo with the work in Region VI especially the Business Development Services.

Lucas is 23 years old and studying Public Administration.

Jenny Winkler (26), the third intern, recently finished her studies of international economics.

She will support Elpe Canoog in Monitoring & Evaluation as well as Dorothy Ring in Knowledge Management & Public Relations.

 

New Papers and Reports

• Revised SMEDSEP Program and Information Briefs
  SMEDSEP | October 2007 | download

• Results Based Management for the Harmonization / Localization of the National SME Development Plan Orientation Training
  Suki Feliciano and Jackie Banal | 18 - 20 April 2007 | download

• Philippine SME Development Plan Monitoring and Evaluation System Users’ Guide
  Enrique Lozari | July 2007 | download

• Health Brief # 7: Borderless Health Services Delivery: IT matters Tele-health (Part 1)
  Ma. Cherry-Lyn Rodolfo | November 2007 | download

 

National Updates

• Pilot run training on filling up of the SMED plan monitoring forms was conducted in Cebu City on 7 to 11 August 2007. Among the participants were twenty four planning and monitoring officers from the regional and provincial offices of DTI for the three regions in the Visayas, and one representative each from DTI BSMED and from the Office of Operational Planning (OOP)

• Completed five batches of training to fill up the SMED Plan monitoring forms for the key national government offices and private sector involved in the National SMED Plan implementation as well as regional and provincial offices of Luzon and Mindanao. The trainings were a real confidence booster for SMEDSEP because they were realized primarily on the resource account of BSMED including the payment for the consultancy services of the trainer

• The harmonization of the provincial SMED plans with the National SMED Plan was completed for the whole Visayas region. SMED Councils were created or reactivated in most of the Visayas’ provinces. All the provinces of Region VI have already held their SMED summits to make their alignment with the SMED plans known to the public. For the provinces of Regions VII and VIII, the target to finish their respective provincial SMED Plan Congresses to disseminate the provincial SMED Plans to a larger group of SMED stakeholders is early second quarter of 2008

Regional Updates

Region 6

• Aklan’s Harmonized SMED Plan aligned to the new M&E Results Framework. The SMED Plan summit was conducted for Region VI which started with Iloilo last 16 October then continued with Antique (22 Oct), Capiz (23 Oct), Negros Occidental (24 Oct), Guimaras (25 Oct) ending with Aklan province (30 Oct)

• Core group of LRED facilitators from partner organizations trained and coached. Sensitizing workshops on LRED conducted in Antique, Capiz and Guimaras

• BDS adopting provinces identified, private BDS Providers’ (such as SME Center) business plans prepared, 24 Letters of Intent assessed, 19 Focus Group Discussions held, business plan seminar held

• A team of seven Trade and Industry Development Specialists from different provinces of Region VI visited Region III and conducted a benchmarking study to compare the Business Process Licensing System of that region with their own system

• Another team from Region VI composed of Iloilo City LGU representatives, NGA representatives and accompanied by DTI Regional Director for Region VI Dominic Abad visited the NERBAC office in Cebu last 25 October 2007 to learn from the experiences of DTI Regional Director of Region VII Aster Caberte on how they were able to set up and implement the NERBAC in Cebu

Region 7

• The SMED Plan harmonization workshops were conducted in Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor while the focus group discussion results were presented to the Regional Development Council (RDC) Economic Development Committee (EDC). The DTI Regional Director Aster Caberte also presented the LRED approach to the same Committee

• Tourism Value Chain Study was conducted in the four provinces of Region VII from 20 August to 3 September 2007. DTI provided value chain coordinators during the mission

• MOA with DTI, DOH, PEZA and GTZ (SMEDSEP, Health, EID) signed last 31 October replicating the Business Development Service (BDS) model

• Value Chain roundtable meeting among policy makers was conducted last 13 September while a training of facilitators was conducted from 17 to 21 September 2007

• Capacity building for the NERBAC Board and Investment Promotion Units (IPUs) conducted last 9 and 10 October 2007.

• Joint support of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) together with GTZ Decentralization Program resulted in a bill to create the Cebu Economic Development Zone (CEDZ)

Region 8

• Five other provincial SMED Plans harmonized with the National SMED Plan in Region 8 in August and completed by end of September. GTZ contracted a facilitator from the academe: UP Tacloban, Ms Marietta Sumagaysay who was the overall responsible for the design and conduct of harmonization workshops and worked closely with the DTI Regional Focal person Ms Badette Corsiga. The pilot province of Leyte has already been aligned to the National SMED Plan Results Based Monitoring System (RBM). A SMED Plan Congress, where the Harmonized SMED Plan will be presented to the key stakeholders is scheduled on 22 November for the province of Leyte.

• Twenty five Business Development Service (BDS) providers were initially selected based on program’s criteria as an off shoot of the BDS Roadshow/Orientation Workshop in five provinces in Eastern Visayas. An orientation on business planning conducted in October, which was the second round of assessment afterwhich a review of the business plans will be conducted as a final assessment of the BDS providers. BDS providers who will submit business plans and will make it based on criteria are expected to be part of the program’s capacity development initiatives until the end of Phase 2.

• DTI-DILG collaboration re Orientation on Business Process Licensing System was agreed last September. Six new LGUs sent in their Letter of Intent and the MOA is scheduled to be signed on December 2007. These six new LGUs are Palo and Isabel (Leyte), Guian (Eastern Samar), Calbiga (Samar), Naval (Biliran). They likewise signified their strong interest to be part of the Local and Regional Economic Development (LRED) LGUs in Region 8. Initial activities will be identified and implemented early 2008.

• GTZ and DED (German Development Service) collaboration in DTI Leyte started in August of this year. The DED development worker assigned is Mr Wojtek Nieszporek, with a background in private sector initiatives, and his post is for a duration of two years. Part of his technical support is in the follow up/monitoring of LRED activities and the SMED Plan implementation. Exposure visits and orientation to several activities in Eastern Visayas were provided by the GTZ Regional Coordinator Volker Steigerwald, Ria Adapon and DTI representatives headed by Regional Director Cynthia Nierras.

• As part of the new LRED LGUs, DTI did the Rapid Economic Appraisal (REA) jointly with GTZ in September in Palo, Leyte. Major focus of the LRED Action Plan is geared  on creating enabling environment (through Improving Business Licensing Procedures) and Investment Promotion. The Local Chief Executive, Mayor Sevilla committed to implement LRED in the said municipality. Another municipality: Isabel, Leyte is expected to undertake REA this coming November and the Mayor himself as well committed to implement LRED.

 

Financial Services

• Completed ToT 1 (Training Moderation Techniques) and ToT 2 (Credit Appraisal and Monitoring) wherein 21 Filipina/o trainers were capacitated. Lead SME credit specialists of two rural banks participated in ToT 2 and are now conducting echo training to other SME credit specialists

• SMEDSEP sponsored a booth during the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) national assembly in Manila last September 2007. Reports and the SMEDSEP program brief were distributed during this exhibit as well as the recently developed SME Finance training brochure.

• SME FINANCE TRAINING Appreciation Workshops were conducted in three areas of the Visayas and Luzon participated by more than 70 rural banks who showed interest to participate in the training program

• Revised the SME portfolio monitoring form and definition of SME loans to better monitor the impact of credit technology as well as gender participation in SME management

• GFA coaching mission to rural banks are ongoing to improve SME credit manual, risk management, marketing and 2008 operating plan.

 

Trade Policy and Promotion Project

Updates on Trade in Services

• A PPP Taskforce Experts’ Roundtable on Value Chain and Competitiveness was held last 14 September 2007, stimulating candid discussions on how the VC framework and PPP approaches can be used to enhance the country’s competitiveness particularly on the three priority service sectors covered by EO 372 (ICT, logistics services as well as health and wellness), while drawing lessons from international experience.

• In the regular meeting of the SMCT Cluster of the Department of Health (DOH) last 20 to 21 September 2007, Prof. George Manzano, an expert on GATT and GATS, and Atty. Emma Francisco, former Director General of the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), gave a brief overview on international trading rules, specifically on topics tackling the basic structure of international trade, selected agreements under the World Trade Organization [i.e. General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT), General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and Trade-related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)].

Updates on Trade in Aquaculture

• Phase V: Coaching towards stability and sustainability of the company food safety program was held last 3 August to 4 September 2007. This was a continuation of the onsite coaching for the food quality and safety program for the participant companies. It covered the areas of the farm to form concept including hatchery, grow out and processing units.

• A Seminar on Food Quality and Safety Program for the Milkfish Industries in Region VI was held last 5 to 6 September at the Iloilo Business Hotel. This was the second installment of the Training of Trainers for the Food Quality and Safety Program; a Practicum for trainers with target participation from LGU units to establish interface for the FSQ.

• An awarding ceremony, Recognitions and Directions for Sustainability of the Food Quality and Safety Program, was held last 7 September to recognize the cooperation and support of the participants for the FSQ at the Centennial Convention Center. This was also a venue to set directions of the LGUs for the FSQ.

• Coaching on marketing strategies for milkfish processors and producers were held last 1 and 2 October 2007 at the Iloilo Business Hotel and Business Inn in Negros, respectively, . Marketing strategies were conducted by Dr. Juergen Janssen and also included feedback from the German processors and recommendations in establishing business relations with EU.

• The German Association of Fish Processors and Fish Wholesalers visited the Philippines last 16 to 25 October 2007. This fact finding mission examined the export potential of Western Visayas aquaculture products.

 

Promoting Regional Economic Cooperation in BIMP-EAGA

The First Value Chain Workshop for developing the oil palm industry in Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) was held in Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia 4 to 5 October 2007. Attended by some 30 participants composed of plantation owners, millers, processors, industry boards and associations, relevant government agencies from the 4 countries as well as representatives from the Asian Development Bank, the workshop produced an action plan with 5 major activities:

• 1) Stakeholders' Analysis,
• 2) Forum with Asian Vegetable Oil Council (AVOC) to discuss tariff and non-tariff barriers, including double hulling charges,
• 3) Carbon credits standard procedures,
• 4) Best Practices,
• 5) BIMP-EAGA platform for information exchange.

The BIMP-EAGA is an important producer of oil palm products worldwide. Malaysia and Indonesia produce 85% of the world total production. Further development of the oil palm industry would mean the expansion of backward and forward linkages that would mean more jobs created thus contributing to reduced poverty reduction. Oil palm is also a significant source for biofuels. The workshop also tackled the issue on the environment. The Sabah Industrial Development Minister Dr. Ewon Ebin emphasized that stringent sustainable measures to protect the environment are being observed by the industry to negate the campaign against oil palm.

Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH;
Sitz der Gesellschaft/Registered Office Eschborn/Taunus, Germany;
Registergericht/Registered at Amtsgericht Frankfurt am Main, Germany;
Eintragungs-Nr./Registration no. HRB 12394;
Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrates/Chairman of the Supervisory Board: Erich Stather, State Secretary;
Geschaeftsfuehrer/Managing Directors: Dr. Bernd Eisenblaetter, Wolfgang Schmitt