Cordillera Career Development College (CCDC) is actively driving regional economic resilience by providing comprehensive start-up assistance to the local community. By bridging academic learning with grassroots development, the college equips future and existing local business owners with vital education, training workshops, and legal resources. Through strategic institutional initiatives, CCDC ensures the creation of financially and socially sustainable businesses across Benguet.
Through CCDC’s Entrepreneurship academic program, CCDC was able to conduct a series of activities aimed at building the capacities of various groups. In March 21, 2025 a community-based entrepreneurship school was conducted to the members of the Banayakeo Cooperative in far flung Banayakeo, Poblacion, Atok, Benguet. With the activity theme, Strengthening Cooperative Enterprises for Sustainable Success this activity was organized by 2 faculty members and three students to around 40 members of the community cooperative.
Further, a school-based activity, titled Fusion of Minds was organized to promote financial literacy among women of the community including CCDC stakeholders last March 24, 2025 through one-on-one financial consultations in set booths around the campus. Also, a Bookkeeping Seminar was conducted among 102 young entrepreneur students in the hope of strengthening the financial management skills of young entrepreneurs.
Hands-On Entrepreneurial Training and Government Integration
To cultivate viable economic ventures, CCDC heavily emphasizes experiential learning and resource accessibility. On April 28, 2025, CCDC’s BS Entrepreneurship students participated in a specialized integration seminar hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Baguio-Benguet via the Negosyo Center Tuba.
· Targeted Incubator Education: Held at the SB Extension Hall in Tuba, Benguet, the training oriented participants on vital national support networks including the Negosyo Center Program, Youth Entrepreneurship Program, and the Industry Cluster Enhancement Program. These are especially relevant to those planning food processing businesses, cafés, and agribusiness ventures.
· Operational Readiness: Aspiring founders received instruction on essential start-up logistics, specifically business name registration and strategic brand identity development. This foundational guidance is directly tailored to fuel local niche markets like food processing, cafés, and agribusiness ventures.
· Access to Specialized Facilities: The program concluded with an immersive site visit to the DTI Shared Service Facility, managed by the Tuba Benguet Coffee Growers Association, Inc. This exposure directly connects academic learners to shared community manufacturing facilities, lowering the financial barriers to entry for local agricultural start-ups.
Institutional Ecosystem: The CCDC Entrepreneurship Center
Acting as a central hub for community economic growth, CCDC operates a dedicated Entrepreneurship Center inside its campus. This campus facility is explicitly designed for supporting student and employees start up products and is also open to the community entrepreneurs. By opening up university spaces for market testing, product display, and commercial refinement, CCDC provides localized start-ups with critical retail visibility and consumer data before they launch full-scale commercial operations in the broader market.
Integrating Local Legal Aid for Business Sustainability
Recognizing that long-term business survival relies heavily on structural legality, CCDC bridges the gap between regulatory requirements and remote local communities. During the Healthier Benguet Caravan in Poblacion, Kibungan, Benguet, on February 20, 2025, CCDC deployed five Law Student Practitioners under the direct supervision of Atty. Ronico S. Agayo.
Working in tandem with the Provincial Government of Benguet and the Kibungan Local Government Unit (LGU), this community legal initiative provided free legal infrastructure necessary for small-scale enterprise security. The student practitioners offered free legal consultations, prepared binding contracts, and provided notarization of legal documents. By rendering these essential legal services accessible at no cost, CCDC removes early-stage administrative hurdles, protecting grassroots entrepreneurs from liabilities and helping them establish legally sound business foundations.
Social Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility
CCDC ensures that local economic growth does not happen in isolation from social welfare. This holistic view of sustainability is reflected in community efforts like the National Service Training Program (NSTP). On March 7, 2025, a cohort of 50 students and their instructor carried out a campus-led beautification and repainting project for a daycare center in Barangay Alno, La Trinidad. By actively maintaining local public infrastructure, CCDC shapes an economic environment where community well-being directly reinforces local commerce. Through mentorship, free regulatory aid, and dedicated facility access, CCDC continues to serve as an indispensable catalyst for sustainable livelihood development across the Cordillera region.
