Dizon, E. D. (2016). Enhancing regulatory compliance of MSMEs in the furniture industry of Aurora (Unpublished master's thesis). Public Management Development Program, Development Academy of the Philippines.

Public Management and Development Program Senior Executives Class Batch 5 Thesis (SEC)--Development Academy of the Philippines.

The furniture industry is one of the existing industries being pushed for development by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), given its local and export potentials. The sector's performance significantly contributes to the Philippine economy in general and Aurora Province in particular. With DTI's mandate on MSMEs development, it identified the furniture sector as among its priority sectors to be given technical support in the areas of institutional development and strengthening, product development, market promotion and financing brokering and linkages. In the course MSMEs' assistance, DTI has set a policy that it will give priority support interventions to MSMEs with at least business name registration and this resulted in the effective management and utilization of DTI's resources. Once certified, they will be qualified to be provided business support in the area of business consultancy services- skills and managerial trainings, technology development, product development, marketing promotions and linkages and other support relevant to business operations. Starting 1991, the DTI-Aurora Provincial Office which is still part of Region IV then has already been supporting the furniture shop owners in Aurora and with the support given by DTI, the sector has achieved significant growth as manifested by the number of players in the industry. Around 172 shop owners have business operations in Aurora. Over the years, the furniture sector has generated huge employment opportunities particularly for the marginalized sectors and encouraged infusion of additional investments that helped expand the operations of these shops thereby contributing greatly to the economic performance of the province. The observed practice in Aurora from 1991 up to 2013 was the issuance of Certifications by DTI to furniture shop owners where items were certified to be orders of buyers met by these furniture shop owners from regional and national trade fairs. The issued certificate serves as pass for check points to allow shop owners to transport their items outside the province. Most of those given certifications were participants to local, regional and national trade fairs...