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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Online retailer registrations soar in January - DTI

Online retailer registrations soar in January - DTI

Published Feb 18, 2021 05:24 pm

Business name registration for online retailing already reached 1,539 in January this year, almost hitting the 1,700 online retailers registered in the first quarter in 2020.

This was revealed by Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez in his opening speech today, Feb. 18, at the Amazon Southeast Asia Online Seller Summit.

So far this year, total DTI business name registrations have already reached 108,000, including the 1,539 online retailers. 

Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez. (ALFRED FRIAS/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO FILE PHOTO)

In 2020, Lopez reported that DTI registered more than 900,000 businesses of which 86,000 were online retailers. In 2019, DTI business name registered reached more than 600,000.

“But even as our entrepreneurs have adjusted their business models to the ‘New Normal’ of the pandemic, they still need to be ‘smarter entrepreneurs’ in order to compete in the global market. This means our entrepreneurs should know how to differentiate themselves from their competitors, while also offering innovative and relevant solutions to present-day issues in society,” said Lopez.

To help these entrepreneurs, the DTI has been providing assistance even before the pandemic through our MSME development programs.

Since digitalization is a great equalizer for businesses, DTI has been offering e-commerce programs to support the digitalization of  MSMEs.

These projects and programs—which have been adapted to the “New Normal”—aim to engender business resiliency in MSMEs. For example, our CTRL+BIZ Reboot Now! Webinar series teaches MSMEs to transform themselves into digital businesses.

Likewise, DTI’s “Pivot…Embrace Technology” Project helps to upskill and reskill those whose jobs were lost during the pandemic.

In addition, DTI has partnered with UnionBank, one of the Philippines’ universal banks, with the Sari Sari Linker to digitize “sari-sari” stores, or the small general merchandise stores in local neighborhoods.

The DTI has also been onboarding MSMEs online through our Virtual National Trade Fair, the online channel of the OTOP (or One Town, One Product) PH Hub, as well as other e-commerce platforms. This will mainstream the products of MSMEs, while establishing their online presence and helping them generate sales despite the lockdown restrictions.

The Negosyo Centers, which offers MSMEs business advisory assistance and services, has also gone online—as well as our Kapatid Mentor ME program, which teaches entrepreneurs how to access capital and market.

DTI has also been collaborating with Amazon to support local MSMEs to expand their market.

Last year, Lopez said there had been many new Philippine sellers on Amazon, which has been working with DTI to get in touch with more local businesses.

He stressed that DTI’s digitalization programs will surely help with the boom of enterprises that happened last year and is still happening now.

“More importantly, these new MSMEs can aid in our country’s recovery, especially as our economy gradually reopens and more businesses restart their operations,” he said adding that the country’s MSMEs can learn from their counterparts in the region, exchange best practices and innovative business ideas.

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