(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte commended a known supermarket chain for assisting small businesses during times of uncertainties as he stressed the importance of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) as the backbone of Philippine economy.

The President attended the opening of the Puregold Sari-Sari store Negosyo Convention Center on Wednesday, May 18, and commended the supermarket chain and its owners, Lucio Co and wife Susan, for their advocacy to help in the creation of jobs by assisting small businesses like sari-sari stores.

“This administration has always recognized Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises as one of the backbones of our economy. With the countless jobs that SMEs produce for the country’s growing labor force, they aid in our aim to utilize our people’s talents and in our fight to reduce hunger and poverty,” Duterte said in his speech at the World Trade Center Lobby in Pasay City on Wednesday, May 18.

He also noted how the Covid-19 pandemic had exposed the vulnerabilty of small businesses like SMEs to “external shocks such as financial crises, disasters, and forced changes in the business movement and environment.”

“I thus wish to stress that this activity that Puregold has created is significant and truly worth commending,” Duterte said.

“As our SMEs are exposed to meaningful exchanges with suppliers, manufacturers and fellow entrepreneurs, they are pushed to adopt innovations and strategies that would help them achieve stability and success,” he said.

“Let me thus express my immense gratitude to Puregold not only for conducting this event, but also for making it the company’s fundamental purpose to assist small businesses like the sari-sari stores.”

Duterte hoped Puregold would continue to “devise enabling business practices for its customers and stakeholders” in the years ahead.

With the theme, “Tuloy Natin ang Pagsasama, Tuloy Natin ang Pag-Asenso”, this year’s convention of small retail operators and other business owners focuses on maintaining the innovations and services established in helping sari-sari store owners grow their businesses.

The event marks the 14th staging of Puregold’s Negosyo Convention, which is part of the Tindahan Ni Aling Puring program, a customized and holistic membership program that provides products, services, and trainings for owners of small businesses like sari-sari stores, karinderyas, wholesalers, and resellers

(Eagle News Service)