Manila: Graduates of the Department of Trade and Industry's (DTI) 2026 Kapatid Mentor ME (KMME) program in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) said the mentoring initiative has equipped them with practical skills to expand and sustain their businesses.
According to Philippines News Agency, the recognition of KMME Batches 1 and 2 was held during the two-day Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Summit, which aims to connect entrepreneurs with mentors, government support services, and potential business partners. DTI-CAR Assistant Regional Director Samuel Gallardo urged the graduates to continue learning and pursuing innovation. "Keep learning. Discovering new ways to improve your business should never stop. When you succeed, help uplift your family, your community and the country as well," he said.
Gallardo noted that while individual enterprises may be small, micro, small, and medium enterprises account for about 99 percent of businesses in the country, making them a key driver of the Philippine economy. Among the graduates was Kalinga farmer Rudy Gerlaban, owner of Mayumi Jay Integrated Farm, who said the program taught him how to better manage and grow his diversified agricultural enterprise. "I've been a farmer all my life, but KMME taught me how to make my business more sustainable and market my products better," he said.
Gerlaban, who operates an integrated farm that produces crops, livestock, and processed food products, encouraged fellow entrepreneurs to take advantage of government assistance programs. "Learning should never stop. I may not have finished college, but I continue to learn because it helps improve my business," he said.
Another top graduate, Benguet entrepreneur Elvin Poski, said the mentoring complemented the knowledge he gained as an entrepreneurship student at Benguet State University. Poski transformed his research on value-added vegetable products into Vin Food Products, which manufactures vegetable-based energy bars. Seed funding from the Department of Agriculture's Young Farmers Challenge enabled him to purchase equipment and expand production. "KMME gave me practical lessons that I can immediately apply to my business," he said, adding that increasing demand has prompted him to train his siblings to help with production.
Fashion entrepreneur Ingrid Payaket, a nursing graduate and former finalist in "Pilipinas Got Talent," also credited the program for helping her build her apparel business using locally woven fabrics. The KMME program provides coaching and mentoring to help micro and small entrepreneurs strengthen business management, improve operations, and scale up their enterprises.
