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

YEP-Project MARITES, a joint entrepreneurship training program of DTI-CAR and CHED-CAR, celebrated the completion of its latest batch of completers from the Baguio-Benguet Provincial Leg, held on July 16-19, 2024, at CHET LB Hall, Benguet State University – Main, La Trinidad, Benguet. This project provided free entrepreneurial training to 26 youth, 16 of whom are beneficiaries of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA). These beneficiaries include six from the Free Higher Education program, five from the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), and five from the Tulong Dunong Program.

The training, led by Ms. Marsha Pasong of DTI-CAR and Ms. Eleanor Saludares of DTI-Ifugao, focused on marketing strategies and enhancing business ideas. The program concluded with a business pitch competition, where the top three participants received business starter toolkits from DTI.

Project MARITES, or Mobilizing Available Resources through Inclusive Training on Entrepreneurship of Student-Grantees, is the brainchild of CHED-CAR Regional Director Dr. Demetrio P. Anduyan Jr. The project aims to equip beneficiaries of programs under the UAQTEA, particularly those under TES, with essential entrepreneurial skills. This initiative emerged from CHED-CAR’s monitoring efforts, which revealed that some beneficiaries had used their stipends to start their own businesses.

Now in its third year, Project MARITES is a collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry’s Youth Entrepreneurship Program. To date, it has benefited over 100 participants.