SEN. Ronald dela Rosa said government should help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) secure interest-free loans rather than give them financial assistance which are usually in the form of one-time cash grants.
Dela Rosa said the Department of Trade and Industry should create a small loan program for MSMEs to enable them to boost their livelihoods so they will no longer expect “ayuda” or financial assistance from the government.
“This is no longer teaching them how to fish, this is helping them in their fishing venture. ‘Yan ang maganda sanang programa kung matutukan mo. And I will be very happy … I am urging you to do that kung mabigyan mo ng pansin. Maliliit lang ‘yan pero masaya ‘yang mga tao na ‘yan ‘pag matulungan natin (That is a good program which I hope you can also focus on. And I will be very happy … I am urging you to consider that. That maybe small but the people will be happy if we can help them),” Dela Rosa said during the confirmation of Maria Cristina Aldeguer-Roque as DTI secretary last week.
Dela Rosa said he recalled during his younger days that his mother, who is a fish vendor, would borrow money from loan sharks who charge an interest rate of 20 percent or most commonly known as “5-6.”
Dela Rosa urged Roque to come up with an interest-free program for MSMEs and assured her that Congress will help with its funding.
“Come up with a program and we will help you with its funding. Offer them 5-5 loans, with no interests. Then you can deploy your men on motorcycles that will go to the marketplace to offer loans to the small businessmen. We would do them a big favor if we have loans with no interests,” he said in Filipino.
“This will also lessen the culture of mendicancy,” he added.
Dela Rosa, chairman of the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, has been supportive not only of measures on public order and security, but also of those concerning the improvement of the lives of Filipinos, like the measure seeking to increase the daily minimum wage by P100 and the bill providing direct financial assistance to Filipino farmers.
He also voted for the passage of the law protecting the welfare of caregivers, and institutionalizing allowances for public school teachers.
