Powerhouse speakers, inspiring biz insights at MSME summit

CEBU CITY – The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) hosted another event for Cebu Business Month (CBM 2024)-- "Padayon Cebu: A Summit to Inspire, Promote & Grow MSMEs" on June 25-26 at the City Sports Club Cebu with powerhouse speakers, enduring business insights and innovative solutions to foster growth, innovation and to inspire and respond to the unique challenges the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are facing today.

“We want more people to invest in continued learning, connect and network, grow and develop businesses, and ultimately give back to the community.  Your CCCI is the engine of Cebu’s business growth towards global competitiveness and we want the MSMEs to continue learning with proven business insights from legendary tycoons in the country,” CCCI President Jay Yuvallos said in his opening message during the event.

The 2-day summit brought in an impressive gathering of visionaries and innovators, industry experts, and policymakers to engage in a platform for business networking and knowledge exchange, integrating the critical role MSMEs play in the Philippine economy.

Bernie Liu, Group CEO & Chairman of LH Paragon Inc. was the keynote speaker on day 1, who shared the wisdom of the company founders, the hard work, the hardships and the values that they hold dear and continues to implement as the company grew and developed into what it is today—a giant group of industry that lives up to the expectations and more of its founders from generation to generation.

Other resource speakers included Emmanuel Samson, Emmanuel Samson, Cofounder and CEO of D’ Wallet Technologies Corp (dba DTaka), discussed the blockchain basics of leading digital change in a digital economy; Herbert Hernandez, Founding Partner of Gigil Group, talked about digital power tools that enhance MSME competitiveness in the digital age.

The “Fireside Chats” after each speaker, had Local business legends shared stories of scaling from MSMEs to corporate giants and other valuable insights into their journey as well as topics on digital strategies for MSMEs, the importance of strategic HR, and innovative tools for business success.

Regan Rex King, Vice President for Cebu Business Mobilization and CBM 2024 Overall Chairman highlighted the summit’s role as a knowledge-sharing platform and its dedication to empowering local business leaders and communities.

The Q&A sessions were very useful as they allowed the audience to have ample chances to network and engage in interactive conversations to gain deeper insights and forge meaningful connections.  The summit concludes with a session on funding perspectives, featuring insights from banks, venture capitalists, angel investors, and private equity professionals.

According to the latest figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), MSMEs contribute 99.58 percent of the country’s business enterprises and employ 63 percent of the workforce nationwide. (Photos: MBCNewman)