By Miriam Fe E. Jacinto
PAGADIAN CITY, June 19 - - - The Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI) is the National Secretariat of the National Micro
Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Being the national secretariat, DTI - Zamboanga
del Sur Provincial Office plays a major role in the conduct of the first
Mindanao-wide training of facilitators for Local and Regional Economic
Development (LRED) on June 18-21, 2012 in Hotel Alindahaw, this city.
Simultaneous with the Basic LRED Facilitators
Training is the implementation of the LRED process in Molave, Zamboanga del Sur
which aims to orient and technically equip the participants with the principles
and skills of LRED approach.
DTI Provincial Director Ma. Socorro Malate-Atay
said the LRED approach
involves a participatory planning, implementation and monitoring process with the
public and private sectors. It is a system that strengthens the economic
backbone of a locality as it analyzes, identifies, prioritize and take action
on bottlenecks of a certain locality/municipality and is able to bring about fast
economic growth and development.
Participants to the training are DTI Regional and
Provincial Directors and DTI LRED designated Focal Persons from Regions 8, 9,
10, 11, 12, Caraga and ARMM. Facilitators of the training are from the German
Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).
The local government unit (LGU) of Molave was identified
as the pilot area after complying with certain criteria and Mayor Ireneo Q. Glepa, expressing his
commitment to implement change in the LGU using the LRED approach. The
implementation in Molave, Zamboanga del Sur gives the LRED Facilitators
Training participants a firsthand experience on the application of the LRED
approach
It is a fact that LGUs are the frontlines in
providing sustainable economic growth in order to alleviate poverty in their
respective jurisdictions. With LRED, the way of life in local communities can be
improved in partnership with the public and private sector. The training of the
basic principles and techniques of LRED would surely help the different regions
in Mindanao attain speedy economic growth and development. (MEJ/DTI/PIA9-alt)