TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Nov. 4 (PIA) – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the national government and civil society, recently capped its Youth Entrepreneurship Caravan (YEC) in Bohol participated in by 42 youths.

The YEC showed to the youth participants the vast potential of entrepreneurship while providing them with business support to guide them.

“For most of these youth, the usual dream is to get employed, but there are indeed several options and we are presenting them the best yet in ‘Youth Can Do It’,” said Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Bohol Small and Medium Enterprises Development Division Chief Vierna Teresa Ligan during the YEC.

The YEC is an entrepreneurship activity led by DTI Bohol in partnership with the USAID Opportunity 2.0 (USAID O2) and the private sector to give the youth a glimpse into the world of entrepreneurship.

“The caravan is also a venue for us to invite business establishments and young entrepreneurs to provide insights on how they can contribute in cultivating further the entrepreneurship culture,” said Florabel Labor, USAID 2.0 focal person for Bohol.

According to the organizers, the event sets up the venue for basic information and skills for 42 out-of-school youths (OSY) in

Tagbilaran City on entrepreneurship and to connect them with the right network and partners or service providers who can assist them find resources and they establish and grow their businesses.  

Young successful Boholano model entrepreneurs Dalareich Polot, Gab Pestelos, Marjorie Hornido, Rona Denque, and Chan Wallace shared their business journey during the caravan, and gave tips on how to overcome challenges as entrepreneurs.

Polot talked about her Dalareich Tablea and Guinto Chocolates as her model for the incubation of a business concept into a sustainable business model, and gave inputs for potentials of maximizing market presence via the social media.

Another highlight during the caravan was the “sofa chat” on business financial and technical extension services for entrepreneurs, wherein financial institution representatives potential assistance in realizing business ideas. 

Representatives from Bohol Community Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MPC), Bohol Diocesan MPC, and FCB Foundation Inc. enumerated their products and services intended for the youth and offered assistance in making their businesses become a reality.

Also present during the event were Tagbilaran City Administrator John Geesnell Yap, Anton Gabila of DTI Negros Oriental, and USAID Opportunity 2.0 Program Manager for Philippine Business for Education Bea Vergara.

USAID Opportunity 2.0 links government agencies and private sectors to establish workforce development programs among the youth, government programs, and businesses through Private Sector Engagement model, which champions co-creation of tools and processes to help partners collaborate towards shared goals.

USAID Opportunity 2.0 highlight the importance of employment and self-employment preparatory activities for the youth that includes entrepreneurship activities with DTI. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)