Strengthening the MSME digitalization program of the DTI, DTI Davao City, PLDT Enterprise, and Smart Communications Inc. conducted a series of online entrepreneurship trainings joined by more than 130 business owners from the Davao Region.
Strengthening the micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) digitalization program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), DTI Davao City, PLDT Enterprise, and Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) recently conducted a series of online entrepreneurship trainings, joined by more than 130 business owners from the Davao Region.
Under the telcos’ eBizNovation program, the initiative enabled participants to enhance their digital skills in content creation and promote their products and services through the e-commerce platform TikTok Shop.
“99.6% of total businesses in the country are MSMEs, yet only 6% use advanced digital tools. This shows that there is a huge opportunity for enterprises to expand into the digital space. Our commitment is to continue to provide learning sessions with the help of DTI and other partners, as they embark on the much-needed digital transformation and continue to be the backbone of our country’s economic progress,” said Jinky Francisco, Head of PLDT Enterprise SMBiz VisMin.
Fifty-one-year-old Mirasol Magalasin, who leads an organization for people with disabilities Samahan ng may mga iba’t ibang Kakayahan sa Dabaw shared, “Our business was doing quite well until the pandemic, when we faced challenges in reaching our market. Now, we are slowly recovering, and we credit technology for enabling us to market online through social media, especially given our limitations in mobility,” she said. “With this training, we learned to create engaging content and enhanced our knowledge in using e-commerce platforms to reach more customers,” she added.
E-commerce platforms like TikTok Shop serve as gateways for Filipino MSMEs to access a wider market, transforming their businesses from physical into digital spaces. Through PLDT and Smart’s eBizNovation program and in partnership with other organizations, local entrepreneurs across the country are empowered to reach more customers and increase their earnings through technology.
“We recognize that amid rapid technological changes, MSMEs need to innovate and adapt, so we hope they will make the most of these workshops. We leverage so much on collaboration, and we are thankful for this partnership with PLDT, Smart, Maya, and TikTok Shop,” said Rachel Remetio, City Director of DTI Davao City.
This initiative forms part of the group’s commitment to support the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 5: gender equality, and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.
