Actual 2021 photo of intersection between Sta. Rosa Street and East Capitol Drive in Kapitolyo, Pasig
MSMEs in the Philippines Rise from the Covid-19 Disruption
Disruptions are opportunities for a better quality of work and life
Before the pandemic on Covid-19 enveloped the world and disrupted many established systems, there were already warnings from many scientists about the future changes that the world we live in will be headed for:
- climate change and what it can cause,
- imbalances in the ecosystem,
- extinction of plant and animal species,
- various disruptions from the advancement of technology
- a new industrial revolution that will affect labor and supply-chains
- civil unrest and conflict in some parts of the world
- new systems of education and health services
The best attitude to these realities is to see them as opportunities to build a new way of work and life.
A concrete example of disruption in the recent past
Last , when the Philippines set the country’s Covid-19 health situation at Alert Level 3, a source mentioned that Kapitolyo, Pasig, had a population of approximately 9,203 residents. From this statistic, the Department of Health mentions that 18.4% had contracted Covid-19. But there were only 21 deaths at the time. Reason? The local barangay administration had the determination to enforce all health protocols required by the national government of the Philippines. The residents were generally cooperative and respectful, aware of their responsibilities towards others and themselves. Kapitolyo had succeeded in stemming the infection in 2021.
Covid-19 hit the MSMEs but did not bring them down
Though the residents of Kapitolyo were not succumbing to the pandemic, the retail establishments were the ones taking the hit – especially the MSMEs of the barangay. Many restaurants that offer high-quality & specialty dishes have closed shop. Even one highly visited "sari-sari store" that had the reputation of strong daily sales had decided to close down. Those who decided to continue and were determined to stick it out, "morphed" their stores and
- added fresh produce,
- ready-to-eat meals,
- and even casual apparel like shorts & t-shirts.
One bakery I frequented, followed suit & even added
- a photocopier,
- an ID laminator,
- & a QR Code smack right near the entrance for e-money payments.
An ingenious and successful move! In Tagalog, “magaling na diskarte”. An agile mind, a positive mindset, and the determination to live wins! “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”.
Standing on the shoulders of giants
The Philippine Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) through its training arm, the PTTC-GMEA, reports that 99.51% of the nation’s economy is comprised of MSMEs – micro, small & medium enterprises. They are the backbone of the country’s breadbasket and are the ones bearing the brunt of the pandemic’s force. Given this situation, the DTI spearheaded a program to encourage MSMEs in the country to get up on their feet again. In 2021, during the height of the pandemic, it gave a series of webinars in partnership with Google, to train pandemic-struck MSMEs and also startups with the tools necessary for operating in today’s technology-driven business culture [1][2].
- The DTI is diligent in developing the skills of the MSMEs for nation-building.
- Their skills development programs encourage all MSMEs to upskill and become the assets they are meant to be in the digital economy.
- They are coaching all MSMEs to create a future not only for themselves but to contribute most especially to the building of the Philippine nation.
DTI programs given in partnership with Google in 2021
One such program of the DTI in 2021 was a series of webinars they provide for anyone interested. All attendees were given detailed instructions on how their business can perform well with Google and all of its apps:
- Google Ads,
- Google Analytics,
- YouTube channel creation,
- Google Workspace,
- Google Trends,
- Google Merchants,
- and Google Prime (now Google Shopping or Performance Max).
The webinars also added how MSMEs can better their business through the use of
- Social Media,
- Website development,
- Search Engine Optimization,
- & other technology tools important for operating even during the pandemic.
They are encouraging every MSME owner to again have a positive mindset - a success mindset, even in a time of adversity.
Connecting online in a time of disruption
- The DTI has an official account on LinkedIn. You can readily search there for more detailed information.
- They are also on Facebook and have an official channel on YouTube.
- The speakers they assigned in 2021 for every webinar worked more like coaches than teachers. They created a learning atmosphere that was encouraging and highly interactive because of Zoom’s chat facility.
- All of the speakers have sufficient hands-on experience in the topics they spoke about.
- Their expertise is of high quality; since they coach from both expert knowledge and experience.
- They can spur each attendee to regain the determination needed to win again amidst the pandemic.
- Together with everyone at the DTI PTTC GMEA, the webinar speakers supported and strengthened the Department’s goal of “Training For Nation Building”.
The program’s content mentioned above is available online
I highly recommend the program, which is a series of 9 webinars with a duration of more or less an hour and thirty minutes. You can watch the recorded videos of these webinars. They are on the DTI’s official YouTube channel. However, if the DTI would give something like this again in time of disruption, take the opportunity to participate in an interactive webinar session since this would be more profitable. You also learn from your co-participants. To participate in these webinars, all you need to do is register online. The DTI respects the Data Privacy Act of 2012 upheld by the law so there is nothing to worry about your data. You have a right not to register any data you have that is optional and not required. The DTI’s data-gathering service is meant to improve its “Training For Nation Building” Program. You can even work for an e-certificate for completing a webinar & a handbook in PDF file for you to review.
Paid courses are even more profitable
This is only one program of the DTI. They have many programs: some are free and others are charged a fee. I paid for a course on Financial Risk Management and it proved most helpful and applicable to my business. I highly recommend it. You can learn more about these webinars and also how to create a business through their website at Department of Trade & Industry.
An example video on How to Start a Business given by the DTI
As a starter video, you can watch this YouTube video from the DTI-PTTC. It gives a very informative view of how to start a business in the Philippines. You will gain much from watching this video as the speaker coaches not only from knowledge but also from hands-on business management experience in the Filipino context. (The video’s language is Taglish - a mixture of both English and Tagalog words and phrases used in conversational speech in the National Capital Region.)
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