The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), working with the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) and the E-Commerce Office (ECO), held an online information session on Cross-Border B2C E-Commerce.
The goal of the activity was to help small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) become more aware of the value of cross-border e-commerce. The event also highlighted opportunities for Filipino exporters to use e-commerce to break into the international market.
“As our country continues to recover from the pandemic, e-commerce remains to be the catalyst towards economic recovery and growth,” DTI director Christopher Lawrence Arnuco said in his opening remarks.
The Officer-in-Charge of the DTI E-Commerce Office, Wea Bohol, told aspiring business owners how the government is helping SMEs navigate the digital market.
Meanwhile, Rey Lugtu, the founder and CEO of Hungry Workhorse, talked about important facts and trends about cross-border e-commerce, as well as a practical view that can help businesses do well. He also underscored the importance of updating websites and making it easier for entrepreneurs to be seen on social media, as well as finding new markets and make products and services catering to millennials and Gen Z.
“E-commerce is not limited to physical products. Services is one area where Filipino companies could expand their business beyond the Philippines,” Lugtu underscored.
The success story of Cambio and Co., an e-commerce fashion platform, was also highlighted: the company sells unique accessories made by hand by Filipino artisans in markets like Canada and the US. Its CEO, Gelaine Santiago, talked about her business experience and supported e-commerce. Through her business model and #WearYourHeritage social media campaign, she hopes to get rid of the colonial idea that “imported is better.”
Filipino SMEs have a lot of untapped potential when it comes to cross-border e-commerce, according to independent research. Citing data from thinktanks such as Google, Temasek, and Bain, the DTI pointed out that Southeast Asia’s Internet economy will likely triple from $100 billion in 2015 to $300 billion in 2025.
In 2021 alone, Amazon Global Selling found that the Philippines has the most local e-commerce sellers more than any other ASEAN country, with 70.02%, according to the DTI.
The full info session can be viewed on the DTI Export Marketing Bureau’s Facebook Page here.
