By: Delaila Irma T. Calindas, Project Technical Staff II

The Commission on Higher Education – Cordillera Administrative Region (CHED-CAR) convened with the Department of Trade and Industry – Cordillera Administrative Region (DTI-CAR) on May 10, 2024, for the third year of implementation of the Project MARITES (Mobilizing Available Resources through Inclusive Training on Entrepreneurship of Student-Grantees) fused with the Youth Entrepreneurship Program (YEP). 

The team led by Ms. Menzie Kuengan (Supervising Education Program Specialist) and Dr. Bernadette C. Pal-ec (UniFAST Focal Person) met with the representatives of DTI-CAR composed of Mr. Edwin Bagano Jr. and Ms. Marsha Pasong to plan for the implementation of the third year of the project. 

Project MARITES, a project brainchild of CHED-CAR Regional Director Demetrio P. Anduyan Jr,  is an inclusive training on entrepreneurship launched by the Regional Office last May 2022. Its primary goal is to empower student-grantees with the necessary knowledge and skills in entrepreneurship, equipping them to effectively apply their newfound expertise to their respective startup and small-scale businesses. CHED-CAR partnered with DTI-CAR to conduct the project, which is lodged with YEP.

YEP is a focused program under Republic Act No. 10679, or the Youth Entrepreneurship Act, which mandates the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Development Council (MSMEDC) through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). It aims to address the country’s young demographics to become productive individuals through entrepreneurship. Further, it seeks to help young Filipinos develop their entrepreneurial skills by offering them a comprehensive package of interventions.

In the Cordillera Administrative Region, beneficiaries under the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) revealed that a portion of their stipend was used to finance their startup businesses. These beneficiaries were able to set up small sari-sari stores, buy pigs and chickens for business, fund their farming endeavors, and even buy products for their online stores. Through Project MARITES, selected beneficiaries will receive entrepreneurship knowledge and skills, including Entrepreneurial Mindset, Marketing, Financial Management, and Production Management, which they can apply to their startup and small-scale businesses.

The kick-off ceremony of the project’s third year will be held in May 2024, and the training proper is set to commence in June 2024.