The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Strengthening Urban Resilience for Growth with Equity (SURGE) Project, in partnership with Lazada, is conducting a virtual “Orientation on Lazada’s Onboarding Process for MSMEs” on 14 January 2021, 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. via Zoom (register here: http://bit.ly/LazadaOnboarding011421).
This activity is part of the USAID-SURGE’s Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (WGDP) initiative for which Cagayan de Oro has been handpicked as one of only a few pilot cities.
During the orientation, MSMEs will learn about Lazada’s extensive market reach and how to take advantage of this online portal with a step-by-step guide on its onboarding process.
Participants will also get a chance to win free product photography services from Lazada.
CDO as CDI
Cagayan de Oro has long been a CDI (Cities Development Initiative) partner city of the USAID, one of only three (3) at the outset (with Batangas and Iloilo), joined by five (5) more (General Santos, Legazpi, Puerto Princesa, Tagbilaran and Zamboanga) in recent years.
Together, USAID through the SURGE Project, and the City of Cagayan de Oro, through the Cagayan de Oro Trade and Investment Promotions Center (Oro-TIPC), have worked together to promote economic growth, champion education, improve resilience, and support health.
Rise of MSMEs
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the plight and unique position of local MSMEs came to light.
While micro, small, and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs) bore the brunt of the economic toll exacted by mobility restrictions and brick and mortar shutdowns, increasing reliance on local suppliers also opened up a wealth of opportunities for the humble but hulking sector (forms more than 99% of businesses registered on both local and national levels).
As early as 2019, USAID-SURGE and Oro-TIPC had begun focusing on MSMEs as a special attention sector.
In June 2019, the day Cagayan de Oro marked its 69th year as a Chartered City, Oro-TIPC and the Region 10 Office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in partnership with a private operator, opened One-town-on-product Philippines Hub|Ginamâ (OTOP.PH|Ginamâ), a local MSME product showroom and store.
Later that year, USAID-SURGE and Oro-TIPC began training MSMEs in formulating business continuity plans (BCPs). With the advent of the pandemic in 2020, the partners quickly shifted to capacitating MSMEs for business success in the new normal.
This orientation is one of many such initiatives to push the MSME to level up and participate on the larger business stage with the end in view of promoting entrepreneurship as the ticket to better quality of life. n
