The Development Academy of the Philippines’ Center for Governance – Local Governance and Development Office (CFG-LGDO) trained 24 local chief executives and key functionaries from different provinces, cities, and municipalities during the Course on Strengthening Local Support for Sustainable Micro, Small, Medium Enterprise (MSME) Development, under the Senator Francis Tolentino’s Adaptive Governance and Innovation for Local Executives (AGILE) Program on July 10 – 13, 2023 at the Wynwood Hotel Manila in Pasig City.

Participants were encouraged to review, monitor, and ensure that their projects at the local level were aligned with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 and were contributing to specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators, particularly those related to MSME development. They were also introduced to policies significant to the MSMEs, and exposed to Alabat Quezon’s cooperativism model, and developing new government solutions and initiatives for MSMEs.

Participants expressed their gratitude to Senator Tolentino and the DAP for the opportunity to discover new strategies and draw inspiration from other LGUs’ initiatives which they can replicate or refer to in strengthening local businesses in their locality.

Hon. Tolentino, on the other hand, commended the participants in his recorded message for completing the course and demonstrating their dedication to promoting sustainable MSMEs in their communities. According to him, their role as local leaders is critical in improving and attaining sustainable MSMEs, in particular to policy development, program implementation, resource allocation, citizen engagement, and monitoring and evaluation of business industry.

Launched in 2022, the AGILE Program was designed for LGUs with the aim to equip the local government leaders and key functionaries with the knowledge and understanding of concepts, principles, tools and methodologies for an adaptive and inclusive local governance by focusing on three key learning areas: Agile Leadership, Adaptive and Inclusive Governance, and Evidence-Based Policy Development.