BUTUAN CITY — For Jamal C. Tamano, the Weekend Night Market was the spark that ignited his chicken biryani business, but after his first year in operation, he realized that passion alone was not enough to sustain and grow his enterprise. That realization led him to the Innopreneurs Academy, a program designed to equip micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with the skills needed to thrive in a competitive market. The academy is a collaborative effort of the City Economic and Business Development Department (CEBDD), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the City Government of Butuan, offering free training that would otherwise be costly or difficult to obtain.
A Three-Stage Path to Business Success
The Innopreneurs Academy offers participants a structured learning path across three stages: values formation, financial literacy, and business formalization, addressing the most common challenges faced by small business owners. By covering these foundational areas, the program ensures that participants are not only equipped to start a business but also to sustain and scale it over time. Tamano shared that the academy has had a significant impact on his approach to entrepreneurship, helping him better understand how to grow his small business and emphasizing the value of continuous learning and adaptation. His story reflects the broader goal of the program: to transform informal entrepreneurs into confident, knowledgeable business owners who can contribute to the local economy.
Investing in Butuan's Economic Future
The Innopreneurs Academy is part of the City Government of Butuan's broader agenda under the Inclusive Development pillar, one of five key priorities of the current administration. The program aims to create an environment where more Butuanons can start and sustain businesses, ultimately reducing poverty and fostering economic resilience. Through initiatives like the Innopreneurs Academy, the city is investing in the entrepreneurial potential of its residents, ensuring that small businesses have the support they need to become drivers of local economic growth.
