To address long-standing hiring challenges faced by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through its Negosyo Centers, has onboarded its Business Counselors to GJobs—the job hunting and job referral platform powered by PasaJob within the GCash app.
The move is part of DTI’s broader push to harness technology in upskilling and elevating MSMEs. The platform provides small businesses with a low-cost, accessible way to recruit talent, formalize hiring practices, and establish employer credibility, even without a dedicated HR team or system.
Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) comprise 99.63% of all registered businesses in the Philippines and account for over 66.97% of total employment, according to 2023 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). However, a 2025 study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the DTI reports that only 13% of MSMEs plan to hire additional staff, with limited access to qualified talent and operational constraints among the top barriers. Many still rely on informal referrals or walk-ins, despite the rising complexity of digital and compliance requirements.
Business counselors, serving as frontline advisors, play a vital role in helping MSMEs navigate tools like GJobs and align staffing decisions with long-term growth goals. By enabling small enterprises to build more resilient teams, GJobs helps close long-standing productivity gaps and supports the competitiveness of the sector that employs the majority of the Filipino workforce.
“We recognize that hiring remains one of the most persistent pain points for small businesses. We want small business owners to be aware and take advantage of inclusive small business solutions such as GJobs,” said DTI regional operations group assistant secretary Grace Baluyan.
In its recent webinar, titled “Leveraging GJobs for MSME Recruitment and Strengthening Financial Literacy of Negosyo Center Business Counselors,” the DTI strongly recommended that MSMEs leverage innovative talent recruitment solutions, such as GJobs, to help streamline hiring, formalize recruitment practices, and improve access to qualified candidates—all without the overhead cost of traditional methods.
GJobs, an in-app feature within the GCash platform, was developed in partnership with PasaJob to help small business employers access a pool of 2.4 million verified users. Designed to support hiring without functioning as a traditional job hunting and job referral platform, GJobs leverages incentive-based referrals through personal networks and operates on a pay-per-hire model—costs are incurred only when a successful hire is made.
This presents a cost-efficient advantage for MSMEs working with lean budgets. Early data show that job hiring timelines have been cut from 42 days to just 29, underscoring their impact on hiring efficiency and employer credibility.
“MSMEs need tools that match their realities. GJobs gives them reach, control, and affordability without requiring large HR investments,” said GCash VP and head of product innovation Leonardo Ferdinand Byron Perez.
By introducing inclusive job-hunting and job referral platforms like GJobs powered by PasaJob, DTI continues to advance efforts that level the playing field for small businesses—empowering MSMEs to thrive in the digital economy without compromising operational sustainability.
