DTI chief to
entreps: go digital
Calls for digital
empowerment in PH
By DTI-OSEC-PRU
February 6, 2017
MAKATI –
Newly-confirmed Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon
Lopez has called for digital empowerment in the Philippines to
continue fueling the development of the country’s digital commerce or
e-commerce, a key priority in the current trade agenda.
“I urge our micro, small,
and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to welcome digital integration,” said
Sec. Lopez, adding that now is the perfect timing to rally towards
digital empowerment as the Philippine economy experiences strong
macro-economic fundamentals, renewed investor confidence and good
governance.
During the recent office
opening of Google in Taguig, the trade chief said that “digital
integration is a great equalizer, as it allows MSMEs to gather product
ideas and concepts, do market tests and do promotions and selling at
practically no cost.”
He also said that MSMEs can
make use of programs in partnership with companies like Google, so
that the sector “can take advantage of opportunities that go with
going digital.
With vast interest infused
in the demography of the Philippines as the world’s social media
capital and with 50 million Internet users, accounting for 50% of the
country’s total population today, the Philippines can be a model
country for digital empowerment, according to him.
“I hope that more effective
web services, improved search experience and effective advertising
platform will be delivered to all stakeholders. With Google officially
in the country, we can only expect production of meaningful local
contents,” he added.
Citing Statista, it is
projected that by 2021, 81% of the country’s population will be
Internet users. For the Southeast Asian region alone, the country has
the fastest growing Internet audience at 22% growth rate, according to
the 2014 Global Web Index, which also found Filipinos having the
highest total screen time spent in social networking globally at 3.2
hours.
Sec. Lopez also hoped that
digital companies can be more inclusive in its business operations and
assured that DTI will support initiatives that proactively promote
digital inclusion among Filipinos through digital literacy and digital
accessibility.
“I urge tech companies to
spearhead programs that will empower Filipino consumers with skills to
harness the benefits of technology to improve their quality of life,”
he said, adding that forging multi-stakeholder partnership among the
government, the civil society, the private sector and the academe is
an urgent need.
Google’s expansion in the
Philippines also means creation of more jobs for Filipinos, as country
manager Ken Lingan has promised to hire local talents. In addition,
with the population getting more connected and easily more engaged, an
ecosystem of startups can have more strategic venue, in view of
Google’s commitment to grow small businesses online.