Homegrown enterprises find their niche in e-commerce
Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are undoubtedly the linchpin of the Philippine economy, accounting for more than 90 percent of local businesses.
They also serve as the backbone of the successful online trading model of Shopee, a leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Brazil.
Many MSMEs do not even have physical stores for doing business and are completely reliant on the reach, convenience, speed and ease that Shopee offers for moving their goods and services.
Mindful that the continued growth of its e-retail platform is dependent on MSMEs, Shopee is providing all the support and assistance to help these modest businesses not only survive but also flourish.
The e-commerce platform, which has just made Mandaluyong City its Philippine home base, launched the 2025 Tatak Pinoy MSME Training Roadshow, a nationwide initiative to help more Filipino entrepreneurs succeed online.
Now in its fifth year, Tatak Pinoy has expanded from a simple celebration of Filipino sellers and their products/services into a comprehensive program for long-term MSME development.
Jack Ng, commercial head at Shopee Philippines, says Tatak Pinoy supports and shines the spotlight on MSMEs and locally-made products. Every small business is given a chance to grow.
He notes that while Filipinos are prolific social media users, e-commerce penetration is only about 15 percent. “Tatak Pinoy aims to help bridge that gap.”
The program seeks to help small businesses at every level of engagement, even to go global if that is their aspiration. Through Tatak Pinoy International, Shopee has supported nearly 200,000 local sellers and enabled the sale of over 22 million Filipino-made products overseas.
Tatak Pinoy provides and upgrades skills, helps raise visibility, supplies tools to strengthen businesses and extends support for real needs. Shopee deploys experts and trainers to help MSMEs deal with issues like accounting, inventory monitoring, onboarding and product listing, digital marketing, data analytics and cross-border selling.
In Mandaluyong, on the first day of the roadshow, Shopee partners SPX Express and Monee discussed logistics and financial management to help entrepreneurs build stronger foundations for sustainable growth and to expand their businesses with greater confidence.
For instance, the almost 200 Mandaluyong entrepreneurs in attendance listened to a talk on the importance of reliable and trustworthy delivery partners—whose significance in establishing business credentials may be lost on many small enterprises that simply go for the lowest rates.
“We equip sellers with practical skills and create more economic opportunities,” Ng stresses. “We help build more sustainable, resilient enterprises.”
Ng says they are working hand-in-hand with local governments “to bring training and support to more communities, so even more MSMEs can grow and thrive online.”
He says e-commerce continues to grow as it offers buyers convenience, reasonable prices and a wide variety of good and services. They are also becoming more comfortable in using the digital platform to get what they need.
Building confidence
But many MSMEs still lack the confidence to trade online and need to be equipped with the right tools and skills to navigate the evolving world of e-commerce.
Ng says Shopee, which is marking its 10th year in the Philippines, is using state-of-the-art technology, including artificial intelligence, to make online shopping safe, secure and a pleasant experience for both sellers and buyers.
It is, for instance, using both manual and digital resources to ensure that customer feedback is true and accurate. Filters are employed to weed out as much as possible comments and reviews that are not authentic.
Councilor Charisse Abalos of Mandaluyong City, who says “small business owners are the backbone of Mandaluyong’s economy”, notes that MSMEs have improved lives.
She has expressed her gratification that Shopee has a loan facility for small businesses that are “most vulnerable to five-six lenders”. So-called lenders charge a 20 percent interest on loans.
The city councilor underscores the need for MSMEs to get lessons in financial literacy so they can manage their modest ventures better.
Mandaluyong City Mayor Carmelita “Menchie” Aguilar Abalaos says the Shopee roadshow offers MSMEs the chance to grow. Small business people get the “opportunity to learn skills, strategies, etc.” to grow their enterprises.
The 2025 Tatak Pinoy MSME Training Roadshow aims to cover 20 cities, with the first 10 completed by December. Shopee will collaborate with local governments and some national agencies in conducting the training activities.
“Strategic collaboration among government, industry and communities is essential for meaningful, long-term progress,” says Eryl Royce Nagtalon, officer-in-charge at Department of Trade and Industry E-Commerce Bureau. “Shopee’s Tatak Pinoy campaign exemplifies private sector leadership that complements our national efforts to promote inclusive digital development.”
Although the Tatak Pinoy roadshow will offer the whole suite of training courses, sessions will be adapted to the greater need of the communities to be visited.
Among the cities scheduled to be visited are Quezon City, San Juan and Pasig, Metro Manila; Calbayog and Catbalogan, Samar; Calamba, Laguna; Naga, Camarines Sur; and Meycauayan and Guiguinto, Bulacan.
