NEGOSYO CENTER. Department of Trade and Industry Ilocos regional director Grace Falgui-Baluyan (right), provincial director Natalia Dalaten (third from left), Bani town mayor Gwen Yamamoto (second from right) lead the opening of the Negosyo Center in Bani town, Pangasinan on Dec. 28, 2021. The center is the fifth that opened in the province last year. (Photo courtesy of DTI Region 1) SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has established and maintained a total of 81 Negosyo (business) Centers in the Ilocos Region as of March 31 this year. Based on the data released by the DTI Ilocos regional office on Tuesday, 19 centers are in Ilocos Norte, 20 in Ilocos Sur, 15 in La Union, and 27 in Pangasinan. The DTI-1 said 40 of these centers are basic Negosyo Centers, five are full, and 36 are advanced centers. The Negosyo Centers' information and services are available virtually at dtinegosyocenter.online. In a phone interview, DTI Pangasinan provincial director Natalia Dalaten said micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and other stakeholders may avail of services, such as business name registration or renewal, business counseling, information and advocacy, and product development. "If they need advice regarding their businesses or those who want to start a business from the town, they need not go to the provincial office and instead go to the Negosyo Center managers," she said. MSME organizations may also inquire about available DTI programs and projects, such as the shared service facility and financing offers. The establishment of Negosyo Centers is stipulated under the Go Negosyo Act which aims to bring the various business services of DTI closer to MSMEs, especially in the countryside. Negosyo Centers provide entrepreneurial assistance, such as business registration, business advisory, and business information and advocacy for potential and existing MSMEs. (PNA) }