Back to the business of writing about business

All right now! I guess it is time I returned to the business of writing about business.

I am done with writing about the politics of this land. I am through with writing about President Gloria, her State of the Nation Address, and the other controversies she is involved in. I believe others can tackle these issues better, though I really like sharing my opinions about Gloria and her follies to anybody who'd care to listen. It is in this sense that I am at time an empty tin can rolling down a rocky hill and unless I wear out whatever credibility I may have (which is not much, I suppose), I better just shut up about it for now.

So if you are looking for commentaries on the state of Philippine politics and other burning issues, please let me refer you to the blog of Joy De Los Reyes, Malaya's Editor in Chief. And if you are looking for interesting stories on tourist destinations in the Philippines, visit Jane Subang' s blog because she's a really good read and a native of Visayas, which happens to be where you can find some of the most beautiful beaches this side of the earth.

I am currently preparing a series of articles on small business loans or so called SME or Small and Medium Enterprise development loans.

When I was still working for Manuel "Mar" A. Roxas II at the time when he was still Secretary for Trade and Industry in 2003, SME development had been something like his "mantra" for economic development and he did push for SME development through SULONG or the SME Unified Lending Opportunities for National Growth. Later on, when I got hired by Luis P. Lorenzo Jr. when he was appointed as Presidential Adviser for Jobs Generation, I encountered the same "mantra" for economic development; but this time, it was being espoused as a means of generating 6 to 10 million jobs.

While I do believe that providing small and medium enterprises with all the help and support they need to thrive is a very good thing indeed, I am also given to certain doubts about the rosy numbers being reported as a way of describing the Arroyo Administration's accomplishments in this area. Perhaps I may be wrong about doubting government figures and while they can always be challenged, proving the figures to be wrong is not only a monumental undertaking -- it also serves no purpose. I suppose, I am content knowing what I know and letting the economic spindoctors spin their yarns.

Regardless of what I think about the government's reports on SME development, there are still a lot of loan programs in the private and public sector that needs to be mentioned in this blog.

After all, if you have decided to go into business, there is a possibility that you might be looking for sources of financing and the drive for SME development had actually made a number of loan facilities more accessible.

My role here is not to endorse one loan program or another but to show you where you can find information on these loan programs. I've been busy looking these things up on the internet and will save you the trouble of having to google them. Needless to say, the next post will contain links and brief descriptions on the websites/webpages that the links point to.

SO WATCH OUT FOR IT!