IMMENSE GRATITUDE. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is greeted by Puregold Price Club Inc. Chairman Lucio Co and wife, Vice-Chairman Susan Co, during the Puregold Sari-Sari Store Negosyo Convention 2022 themed "Tuloy natin and Pagsasama, tuloy natin ang Pag-asenso" at the World Trade Center in Pasay City on Wednesday (May 18, 2022). Duterte expressed his "immense gratitude" to Puregold for assisting small businesses like the sari-sari stores. (Presidential photo by Alfred Frias) MANILA - President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Wednesday expressed gratitude to Puregold Price Club Inc. for helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are "vulnerable to external shocks." In a speech delivered in Pasay City, Duterte recognized Puregold's efforts to assist SMEs such as community stores by holding its 14th Tindahan ni Aling Puring Negosyo Convention. "Let me thus express my immense gratitude to Puregold not only for conducting this event, but also for making
(File photo) MANILA - President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Wednesday expressed gratitude to Puregold Price Club Inc. for helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are "vulnerable to external shocks." In a speech delivered in Pasay City, Duterte recognized Puregold's efforts to assist SMEs such as community stores by holding its 14th Tindahan ni Aling Puring Negosyo Convention. "Let me thus express my immense gratitude to Puregold not only for conducting this event, but also for making it the company's fundamental purpose to assist small businesses like the sari-sari stores," he said. Duterte said the event would spur more economic activities amid the prevailing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, since SMEs are "one of the backbones of our economy." "If the Covid-19 pandemic has emphasized anything, it is that SMEs are vulnerable to external shocks such as financial crises, disasters, and forced changes in the business movement an