DTI to launch e-commerce platform

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will soon launch an e-commerce platform within the month that aims to initiate the entry of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to the digital economy.

“The e-commerce platform that we are putting up together with the DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is for the purpose of having a platform to do the initiation of MSMEs who right now are not attuned to the digital economy,” Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual told reporters in an ambush interview.

He explained this would guide MSMEs to shift to the digital economy, with the goal of eventually launching them on e-commerce platforms like Shopee or Lazada.

Pascual shared that the DTI has had talks with Shopee, which expressed openness to the idea.

“To do some form of digital transformation first, they need digital processes to connect payment systems in an ecommerce platform. They need payment systems connected to the enterprise, logistics, packaging. That all needs to be fixed,” Pascual said.

The Trade Secretary explained that participating in the DTI’s e-commerce platform wouldl also give MSMEs access to a wider market.

He explained that products of most MSMEs in the regions are targeted at their respective local markets.

Pascual said the e-commerce platform may also serve as a catalog of products made in the Philippines.

“The vision eventually is to have a catalog of Philippine products,” Pascual said, adding plans of requiring government offices to procure locally, based on the catalog.

“So we will have an e-catalog. And this will be very transparent because the prices are published,” he added.

The Trade Secretary said the e-commerce platform is ready to be launched within the month.

Last month, Pascual stressed the importance of e-commerce as a tool in driving economic development during the first eCommerce Congress organized by the DTI, in partnership with the Philippine Bar Association.

The event aimed to promote a robust eCommerce environment in the Philippines, where online businesses, especially small ones, can develop and compete globally.

“We have all the ingredients – the economic assets – to make this happen: a young and digital native population, a growing middle class, available and affordable technologies, and significant surpluses in the financial sector,” Pascual said.

“E-commerce is one of the most potent tools and fastest routes in unlocking these economic assets toward sustained accelerated economic development,” Pascual said.