Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are encouraged to participate in government programs and projects, including those fast tracking their digital transformation, to market products and grow businesses.

Rosario Tañada-Liwanag, Assistant Director of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion (BDTP), said they have included the Bagsakan Special Project and digitalization initiatives for MSMEs in their projects amid the pandemic, in addition to domestic trade fairs, Go Lokal! Program, and buying/selling mission.

“The BDTP is helping MSMEs pivot to online selling by onboarding them to various e-commerce platforms,” she said in a webinar. “It also assists MSMEs to introduce their products to potential buyers and explore the possibility of marketing cooperation to selling and buying missions upon the request of the DTI regions.”

Tañada-Liwanag said the Bagsakan Special Project seeks to extend support for MSMEs, farmers, fruit growers and social cooperatives affected by the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) by providing a venue for them to sell their products and support the economy during the pandemic.

She said the project’s key components are digital marketing, online pre-event order-taking, contactless payment and delivery of products, and selling activity.

Through this project, Tañada-Liwanag said they can efficiently market their products to a wider audience at a lower price while they can receive direct payment.

She said the Bagsakan Special Project reinforces the DTI’s Buy Local, Go Lokal! advocacy campaign, which is a call to both the public and private sectors to support local businesses and entrepreneurs by patronizing local products and services all year round.

Tañada-Liwanag added flagship program Go Lokal! is a platform that provides free access to local and global markets to enable MSMEs to go mainstream by providing them retail space in malls and online partners.