DTI, German agency to launch ProGED

CEBU, Philippines - A new Promotion for Green Economic Development or ProGED will be launched this coming Wednesday, addressing the climate change and environmental threats from the perspective of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Prime movers in the tourism sector of Bohol and Cebu, from provincial regional and national level and from the public and private sector will join the introduction of the new program of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of the Federal Government of Germany, implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Department of Trade and Industry Regional Operations and Development Group (DTI RODG), the ProGED.

In spite of the threat of climate change and environmental stress, ProGED looks at green economic development (GED) as a driver for competitiveness, innovation, new markets and jobs which will contribute to inclusive growth and poverty reduction.

The project objective reads: MSMEs as well as government institutions relevant to economic development increasingly implement environment friendly, climate smart and inclusive strategies and measures. It will run for three years, from January 2013 to December 2015 and will be piloted in the tourism value chain of Bohol and Cebu, with an aim to upscale outside the pilot areas on the second year.

It aims to pursue its objective along three intervention lines, namely information and awareness on Green Economic Development, green service facilitation and match making and working towards green framework conditions. ProGED will build on the gains and experiences of the previous program jointly implemented by GIZ and DTI which ended last December 2012, the Private Sector Promotion (SMEDSEP) Program.

The Start Up Event is part of the series of activities leading towards project implementation. Consultation with DTI and other partners and strategy workshops to thresh out the strategies, processes, steering structure, cooperation landscape and learning and innovation strategies for the project were already conducted early this year. The project was launched in Bohol last 25 February 2013.

This event is also a good venue for project stakeholders to validate and confirm activities, to network with the relevant men and women in the tourism sector in Cebu, Bohol and at the national level and to know more about GED and the existing green practices of the tourism sector in Cebu. Champions of GED will share their experiences first hand.  (FREEMAN)