Nicole J. Managbanag

THE National Economic Research and Business Assistance Center (Nerbac) Northern Mindanao will now regularly conduct free orientation on entrepreneurship and business registration every first Thursday of the month.

The regular orientation will be held at the conference room of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Northern Mindanao office in Corrales Avenue corner Antonio Luna St., this city from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m., which would be conducted by representatives from the DTI, Bureau of Internal Revenue, City Treasurer’s Office, Social Security System, PhilHealth, and Pag-ibig Fund who will guide the participants on the step-by-step procedure, requirements and forms needed in registering a business.

As a one-stop-shop, the Nerbac center will also process applications for business registrations.

The Nerbac program, created under Republic Act 7470 or the “National Economic Research and Business Assistance Center of the Philippines Act of 1992,” aims to accelerate the entry of investments into the country and to improve the business climate by providing the necessary support and assistance to prospective investors and existing businesses in Mindanao.

Joy Rosales, Nerbac coordinator, said the program, was implemented only for a short period after its approval on April 29, 1992 but was re-launched again this time with full support from different private and government agencies.
She said the program primarily aims to assist those who want to start their own businesses.

The main functions of Nerbac is to provide timely and relevant business information to prospective and existing businesses, to provide with a one-stop business registration, licensing and export documentation, to identify and promote investment opportunities in accordance with the investment priorities of the government for business match-up, and to improve the business environment through policy and regulation reforms advocacy,

Rosales said the program is a good opportunity for those who want to start their businesses right.

Among the services offered at Nerbac include business registration and licensing, investment promotions, business information, economic research, export documentation, incentives facilitation and financing facilitation.
The program is implemented in partnership with different government and private agencies such as the Social Security System, Philippine Health Insurance Corp., Pag-ibig Fund, the City Government of Cagayan de Oro, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Department of Tourism, Cagayan de Oro Electric Power and Light Company, Department of Agriculture, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Labor and Employment, National Statistics Office, Bureau of Food and Drugs, Securities and Exchange Commission, Small Business Guarantee and Finance Corporation, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Rosales said availing the services at Nerbac would really make a big difference for entrepreneurs as it saves money, time and effort.