ILIGAN CITY(PIA)–Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in this City will now be strengthened through digital democracy as the multi-stakeholders convened virtually to share insights for improving the business sector.
The Makati Business Club and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung spearheaded an online citizen assembly to introduce technological tools to enable the city government to better consult with their constituencies in forming policies particularly in strengthening the MSMEs.
The participants were asked what support is needed in Iligan to set businesses up for success. Also, citizens will be able to vote and contribute to an online conversation about improving businesses in Iligan.
The sentiment gathered from this assembly will provide the local government unit (LGU) with guidance based on empirical data on what support is needed in the City.
During the event, Secretary Ramon M. Lopez of the Department of Trade and Industry said that “DTI remains committed to supporting the micro-SME sector, especially now that we still face challenges brought about by the pandemic.”
Aristotle Alip from CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions emphasized the significance of listening to MSMEs to understand their needs and develop policies and programs that will address this need.
“Due to the pandemic, we gather virtually in this Citizen’s Assembly as Iliganons who are embracing twenty-first century communications and information technology as an opportunity to re-invent our old ways and improve our political and governance processes to promote democracy,” said Iligan City Vice Mayor Vera Cruz.
With this event, registered MSMEs and the informal sector will be asked what they need to grow and contribute to economic recovery. The insights from the survey will inform the policy decisions the government makes to promote enterprises in the City.
Visit this link to vote on this issue: https://pol.is/
Pol.is is an online survey platform that uses artificial intelligence to interpret data from the participants’ answers in real-time providing freedom to share thoughts without being unduly influenced by others’ opinions. (LELA/PIA Lanao del Norte)
