Acting Trade Secretary Maria Cristina Aldeguer-Roque cited the importance of digitalization in strengthening the country’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Roque said digitalization in the country’s micro and small business sector is part of overarching program of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to speed up the government’s digitalization strategy to hasten the nation’s development and improve efficiency in both the public and private sectors
Roque said the administration’s digitalization program is a key part of the five-point strategy of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to help boost the country’s MSME sector.
“We have the five-point strategy which is really where we’re pushing for the MSME which is, number one, the mandate of the President which is to go… digital,” Roque told a press briefing in Malacañang on Thursday.
She stressed that in “a global world, digitalization is the way to go… and we are also 7,600 islands so how do we get our message across? How do we get to deliver the goods? How do we get to sell the goods and how do we get information from Luzon all the way to Mindanao except instantaneously and quickly, except through digitalization?”
Digitalization and wider connectivity were among the points stressed by President Marcos during his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) last month. The program aims to speed up the delivery of government services, boost businesses, and accelerate economic growth.
According to Roque, the fastest way to sell is also through digitalization, citing the popular social media platform TikTok as one way that could help promote the country’s small businesses to the world.
“So, all you need is just the product and yourself and the guts to be able… and the know-how to be able to do TikTok. And there’re lot of stars and a lot of people who made money in TikTok and by doing this,” Roque said.
“If we uplift the MSMEs which is 99.5 percent then that would really uplift the economy instantaneously that’s why there’s really a drive to really uplift and to level up the MSMEs as best as we can. And this is a quick way because, actually, the MSME are really ready to go – they just need to be helped, to be mentored and to be told what are the different programs that the Department of Trade and Industry has for them,” she added.
The acting trade chief also cited the growth in registration of small and micro businesses during the pandemic.
“The pandemic had hit everyone globally, it’s not just us and a lot of the businesses were closed. But you’ll be shocked, a lot… there were a lot who also thrived. In a crisis, not everybody goes down – there are people who thrived,” Roque pointed out. | PND
