Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez (davaotoday.com file photo)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines—Saying that digital integration is a great equalizer, a trade official urged Monday the entrepreneurs in the country to welcome digital integration to continue fueling the development of the country’s digital commerce, a key priority in the current trade agenda.
“I urge our micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to welcome digital integration,” Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez said at the opening of tech giant Google in Taguig.
Lopez said the present business climate in the Philippines now favors the “digital integration” as the Philippine economy experiences strong macro-economic fundamentals, renewed investor confidence and good governance
“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 pointed out, adding that MSMEs could potentially use of programs with companies like Google, so that the sector “can take advantage of opportunities that go with going digital.”
Tagged as the world’s social media capital, Lopeza said that the country could be a model to use digital empowerment for business purposes with 50 million active internet users, accounting for 50% of the country’s total population today.
“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,” the trade official said.
According to Statista, it was projected that by 2021, 81 percent of the country’s population are internet users. For the Southeast Asian region alone, the Philippines has the fastest growing Internet audience at 22 percent growth rate, according to the 2014 Global Web Index. It also found out that Filipinos spent the highest total screen time spent in social networking globally at 3.2 hours.
Lopez also expressed hope that digital companies will be more “inclusive in its business operations,” noting 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. (davaotoday.com)
