Seventy-five students have graduated from an online senior high school program focused on e-commerce and digital skills, marking the completion of the initiative’s first batch.
The Senior High School E-Commerce Track, developed by the Department of Trade and Industry E-Commerce Bureau (DTI-ECB), Department of Education (DepEd), and Thames International School, combines the standard senior high school curriculum with e-commerce training, digital skills, industry projects, and work immersion.
The program, which operates fully online, is designed to prepare students for higher education, employment, freelance work, and digital entrepreneurship.
“This partnership equips young Filipinos with practical digital and entrepreneurial skills while strengthening their readiness for further education, work and business,” DTI-ECB director Eryl Royce Nagtalon said.
The first batch of 75 students graduated on July 18, 2026.
The program comes as e-commerce continues to account for a growing portion of economic activity in the Philippines. Citing 2025 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the proponents said local e-commerce gross value added reached P880.46 billion.
The e-commerce track was first proposed in 2021 and formally launched in 2024 following coordination among the participating government agencies and Thames International.
“This pioneer batch shows that a different kind of senior high school is possible — one that is online, industry-integrated and designed to produce work-ready graduates,” Thames International School president and co-founder Jaime Noel Santos said.
“It is a model that can be expanded nationwide through strong partnerships among government, education and industry.”
As part of the curriculum, DTI-ECB helped arrange work immersion opportunities with micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and corporate e-commerce partners. The online setup also allowed students to take part regardless of their location.
Bataan 1st District representative Antonino “Tony” Roman III, who attended the graduation, encouraged the students to continue developing their skills and to use emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence responsibly.
DTI-ECB and Thames International said they are now looking to expand scholarship opportunities for School Year 2027–2028, with local governments, non-profit groups, corporate foundations, and industry organizations being tapped as potential partners.
