Follow Thai business model
Manufacturers of chicharon (pork crackling) and ampao (popped rice) in Carcar City can adopt the business model of delicacy manufacturers in Thailand where they prepare their goods near their display areas.
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano gave this suggestion as he believed that the local chicharon and ampao industry could be expanded further to make these into tourism attractions and generate more employment opportunities for the local residents.
“Aside from its beaches and city, ang daming turista na gustong makakita nang proseso (ng paggawa ng mga delicacies). Simple process but naaliw ang mga turista how locals do it, so namu-multiply ang trabaho,” he said.
He also encouraged the government to help small entrepreneurs by providing them access to capital by expanding the coverage of the national government’s 4Ps program to include small entrepreneurs as its beneficiaries.
The program now has 800,000 beneficiaries while the country’s economic managers plan to double the 4Ps appropriation next year.
He said that P20 billion could be allotted to continue program implementation among the poor families while another P20 billion could be set aside to provide funding access to small entrepreneurs.
loan access
He said the P20 billion appropriation for small entrepreneurs could be divided at P500 million per region for release of loans with a 2 percent interest per month with no collateral.
Access to government loan would already rid of loans that charge a 20 percent interest per month, he said.
Having a cheaper interest rate for loans will also entice small manufacturers to also reduce the cost of their products by at least 10 percent.
“Ampao and chicharon (production) are successful businesses, but how do we help and give them a push?”
The re-electionist senator visited the Mat Mat Chrispy Chicharon manufacturing site in Carcar City owned by vice mayor Patrick Barcenas yesterday morning. He had a chance to try a huge wooden wok used to cook chicharon./Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac
