MANILA, Philippines—Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel on Wednesday asked the Department of Trade and Industry to create an online shopping platform exclusive for Filipino-made products.
The online platform would cater to the country’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that use the internet to sell their products amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
“I challenge the DTI to come up, in house, with an online shopping platform. The idea is that the seller must be an MSME and the product being sold must be made or grown in the Philippines. A transactional shopping platform and not a mere ‘portal’ listing MSMEs and their products,” said Pimentel in a statement.
Pimentel, who chairs the Senate Committee on Trade, said that the new online platform will be an alternative to Lazada or Shopee as this will also help the MSMEs recover from the economic effects of the pandemic.
He added that the DTI should also utilize Filipino talent in creating and programming the online shopping app specifically designed for MSMEs.
“Ilabas ang galing ng Pilipino hindi lang sa negosyo. Ilabas na rin ang galing ng Pilipino sa computer programming. (Let us unleash the Filipino talent not only on business but also in computer programming.),” said Pimentel. “
There’s no other way but to go digital. We should turn these COVID-19 adversities into opportunities for our fellowmen and small businesses to restart, recover, and grow. If we help them now, we are also helping the Philippine economy,”
Pimentel raised the proposal in DTI’s budget hearing after Secretary Ramon Lopez said that some 90,000 MSMEs remain closed after Luzon was placed under strict lockdown in March.