TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol — Twenty‑one micro, small, and medium enterprises from Bohol successfully completed the Kapatid Mentor Me–Money Market Encounter (KMME‑MME) program, graduating as the 20th Regional Batch on July 31, 2026. The ceremony at the Golden Prince Hotel & Suites in Cebu City marked a decade of empowering Filipino entrepreneurs through mentorship, financial access, and market linkages.
A Decade of Mentorship, Money, and Market
The KMME‑MME program, a flagship initiative of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship‑Go Negosyo, has trained over 1,100 entrepreneurs across Central Visayas since its launch. The curriculum covers essential business disciplines from entrepreneurial mindset and marketing to accounting, taxation, and digitalization. Each participant emerges with a concrete Business Improvement Plan designed to attract financing and scale operations.
DTI‑Bohol celebrated the graduates as part of the program’s 10th‑anniversary milestone. The mentees now join a growing network of alumni who have transformed their enterprises from survival‑mode ventures into competitive, sustainable businesses. The program’s three pillars—Mentorship, Money, and Market—ensure that graduates leave with not just knowledge but also connections to banks, investors, and trade platforms.
A Champion’s Journey Inspires New Graduates
A highlight of the ceremony was a fireside chat with Frances Espinosa, a KMME alumna and KMME Growth Champion Awardee. She shared how her small food business, Paeng’s Chicken, grew from a modest stall into a franchise with over 100 branches across Bohol, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro, employing nearly 200 workers. Espinosa credited the mentorship program for giving her the confidence to implement franchising and build resilient supply chains.
Her story resonated deeply with the new graduates, many of whom operate family‑run enterprises in food processing, handicrafts, and agri‑business. The message was clear: structured mentorship combined with access to capital can turn a neighborhood store into a regional brand. The graduates left the ceremony not only with certificates but with a renewed belief that their businesses can grow beyond their current boundaries.
Building Bohol’s Economic Resilience
The 21 graduates represent a cross‑section of Bohol’s entrepreneurial spirit, from home‑based food producers to emerging digital service providers. Their completion of the program strengthens the province’s local economy by equipping business owners with the skills to manage finances, market effectively, and comply with government regulations. As these MSMEs stabilize and expand, they create jobs and stimulate demand for local products and services.
DTI‑Bohol remains committed to scaling the program, with future batches already in the pipeline. The agency recognizes that a thriving MSME sector is essential for inclusive growth, particularly in a province where small businesses form the backbone of the economy. With mentorship and market access, Bohol’s entrepreneurs are poised to contribute even more to the region’s development.
