Only 13% of microenterprises in GCQ areas experienced strong demand —Ateneo-SEDPI

The Ateneo de Manila University-Social Enterprise Development Partnerships Inc. (SEDPI) has found that only 13% of microenterprises have experienced strong demand on their products and services two weeks since their areas were placed under a more relaxed general community quarantine.

Ateneo-SEDPI’s Microfinance Capacity Building Program has conducted community assessment to determine the economic impact of COVID-19 lockdown among microenterprises and the informal sector.

The community assessment found the 13% that experienced strong demand in GCQ areas is a slump from a hopeful 49% expecting stronger bounce back before the government ordered easing of community quarantine measures on May 1.

The Ateneo-SEDPI assessment also found that there were 44% of microenterprises that expected weaker demand but 78% of them actually experienced this in the same period.

“In contrast, 84% remain confident that access to supply for their livelihood won’t be a problem,” it said.

On a positive note, Ateneo-SEDPI said 73% of microenterprises already opened their business operations, an improvement from 31% during the lockdown period.

There was also no reported suspect, probable nor confirmed case of COVID-19 among the respondents in the past month, it said.

“However, this is in the context of lack of mass testing in the area. Nonetheless, this may be the effect of the quarantine measures implemented,” Ateneo-SEDPI said.

The Ateneo-SEDPI research is part of a series of rapid community assessments that determines the economic impact of COVID-19 to microenterprises and the informal sector.

SEDPI, a microfinance institution, conducted the survey from May 11 to 15 with 4,479 respondents located in Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur. --KBK, GMA News