35th Mindanao Business Conference
Some 25 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) will have their loan applications approved during the 35th Mindanao Business Conference (MINBIZCON) to be held in Cagayan de Oro City on August 11-13, 2026.
The qualified MSMEs will be accommodated under the P7 billion loan facility program recently signed by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and Small Business Corporation (SB Corp) which seeks to make SB Corporations loan products and services accessible to MSMEs nationwide.
PCCI President Perry Ferrer said that under the agreement, the PCCI will serve as a conduit in processing and validating the application requirements, with local chamber of commerce and industry (LCCI) chapters designated to accept and endorse applications from members in good standing. For the 35th MINBIZCON, the loan applications are being facilitated by the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (Oro Chamber).
Oro Chamber President Almarco C. Brito, who is also the deputy MINBIZCON conference director, disclosed during a recent press conference the loan approval for the 25 MSMEs will be announced on August 13 by SB Corporation President & CEO Robert C. Bastillo.
“We already have 14 applications from Oro Chamber members totaling P10-million to date,” Brito said. “The maximum amount of the loans to be approved will be P300,000.00”. The loan program may offer a grace period of up to 12 months and could require no collateral.
The Oro Chamber is assisting in processing of the loan applications and assessment of risks, which is a big help for small business with no access to normal bank windows, and remain dependent on informal lenders which charge high interest rates.
Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) make up some 99.63% of all business establishments in the Philippines, micro enterprises constitute about 90.43% of total establishments, small enterprises 8.82% and medium enterprises 0.38%, with large enterprises accounting for the remaining 0.37%.
SMEs generated a total of 6,351,466 jobs (66.97%) of the country’s total employment, with micro enterprises producing the biggest share (33.95 %), small enterprises (26.26%) and medium enterprises (6.77%). They contribute over one-third of the total domestic economic output value.
Financing an MSME priority
Since financing remains a top priority of MSMEs, Brito said three more financing institutions will be presenting their programs to the MINBIZCON delegates on August 13: Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank), Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and China Banking Corporation (CBC).
Brito added that MSMEs remain a top concern of the Oro Chamber since as Oro Chamber President he also sits as the chairman of the Misamis Oriental–Cagayan de Oro Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Development (MSMED) Council.
The council is facilitated by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Misamis Oriental Provincial Office and brings together local industry leaders and government agencies to boost local business growth.
Among its key Functions and Programs are Policy and Planning (Acts as a direct platform for local entrepreneurs and producers to raise issues and endorse local economic resolutions to regional and national offices; MSME Support (Coordinates closely with programs like the Negosyo Centers, OTOP (One Town, One Product), and digital readiness assessments to help small business owners scale operations, packaging, and financing; and, Market Expansion (Deliberates on export strategies, food safety compliance, and regional trade connections (such as promoting local processed foods and market entry initiatives).
The MSMED has 33 organizational stakeholders including 17 national government offices including DTI and DOLE; Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental and the City Government of Cagayan de Oro; 7 private organizations and 6 priority industry clusters; and one participating academic institution.
