Continues to support aspiring business owners with Home2Home program
In photo: MEKENI Food Corporation President, Pruds Garcia during the First Business Conference of Quezon City Business Council 2019 (File photo/THEPHILBIZNEWS)
Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) play a huge role in the stability and recovery of the economy. They are the drivers; the movers and shakers; and the lifeblood of many countries, particularly developing ones.
Here in the Philippines, MSMEs are considered the backbone of the economy. In 2018, they account for 99.5% of all enterprises and employed 63.2% of the labor force. MSMEs were also responsible for the 35.7% value-added growth to PH’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2019.
However, MSMEs continue to be in a vulnerable position due to external factors including changes in the business environment, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic response.
Prudencio Garcia, Vice President of the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (PamCham) and the President of Mekeni Food Corporation, noted that MSMEs have shown resiliency amid all the difficulties that the COVID-19 crisis brought.
“Our MSMEs faced tremendous challenges at the onset of the pandemic. The quarantine measures brought compounding struggles to even the most dedicated and passionate micropreneurs. But while many succumbed to these difficulties, many were able to find a way to keep going through the help of the government and the private sector,” said Garcia.
The Garcia clan’s Pampanga-based food manufacturing company, Mekeni Food Corporation, is known as a staunch supporter of MSMEs. In the wake of the crisis, Mekeni tapped external distributors to expand its reach and provide income for starting entrepreneurs through its Mekeni Home2Home (H2H) Partners Program.
Launched in April 2020, the Mekeni H2H Program helped more Filipinos kickstart their small businesses with Mekeni products that they can sell at home and even online. The reseller’s program entails low investment costs and is customizable based on the micropreneur’s capital. For as low as P1,500 worth of products, many micropreneurs were allowed to get back on their feet and uplift the lives of their loved ones.
“It has always been our priority to help aspiring micropreneurs in developing their businesses as well as their skills. We are with them every step of the way—from helping them put up their business with the capital that they have to walking them through the tools that they need to grow their ventures. Seeing them grow and succeed keeps us going and persevering to better serve them” shared Garcia, who, as an active member of GoNegosyo, also mentors MSME owners. Through the H2H Program, Mekeni was able to help nearly 150 micropreneurs from Luzon.
“Micropreneurs play a crucial role in the country’s efforts to recover from the crisis brought by this pandemic. And as we honor the significant contributions of our very own micropreneurs, we at Mekeni would like to assure them of our unwavering support and commitment to serve them even better with products and services that will continue uplifting their lives and their communities,” Garcia furthered.
Interested resellers and future entrepreneurs can be part of the Mekeni Home2Home Program by sending a message through Mekeni’s official Facebook page.