TikTok Shop eyes tie-ups with LGUs to train MSMEs

By Almira Louise S. Martinez, Reporter

TIKTOK Shop Philippines said it aims to partner with more local government units (LGUs) under its Unlad Lokal program to equip micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with digital skills.

“It’s only natural for us to go to the source directly. And to go to the source directly is to partner with the different LGUs,” TikTok Shop Philippines Marketing Lead Franco S. Aligaen told reporters in a press conference.

“We hope to create an ecosystem that is safe for both buyers and sellers,” he added.

The Unlad Lokal Roadshow Caravan, in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), aims to train entrepreneurs on how to utilize the available tools on the platform to boost their sales and market reach.

“We want to be able to impart knowledge on how to navigate the platform, how to do content, how to do live streaming,” Mr. Aligaen said. “It’s really just imparting knowledge to them, and then them being able to use that knowledge for their own business.”

For businesses in rural areas, the TikTok Shop executive noted that the training program will be available through both webinars and on-site sessions.

“For people who have limited access to connectivity, we hope that partnering up with the LGU will solve that,” Mr. Aligaen said.

“Otherwise, our other option in order for more people to have access is through the online webinars that we will conduct with each of the LGUs,” he added.

Apart from digital skills, the program aims to teach small businesses how to obtain essential business permits and registrations at the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

“They are not sure how to navigate the system, and sometimes people are convincing them to go online,” DTI Division Chief for NCR Area 2 Rowena D.B. San Jose told reporters at the event.

“But then, since they are not really knowledgeable, they are not sure if those people are trustworthy or not,” she added.

According to the 2024 Philippine MSME Statistics, 99.63% or 1,236,908 of registered business establishments in the country are MSMEs, while only 0.37% (4,568) are large enterprises.

Among the registered MSMEs, 90.66% are micro enterprises, 8.60% are small enterprises, and 0.37% are medium enterprises.

The participants of the upskilling program would also receive assistance from the LGUs in securing permits.

“A lot of small businesses are afraid to register for fear that there might be penalties or fees imposed on them,” Taguig City Mayor Maria Laarni “Lani” L. Cayetano said, highlighting the platform’s partnership launch with the city.

“After the training, they undergo a session for financial literacy…After that, they were taught how to secure permits in the city, especially when it comes to food, the aspect of food safety,” she added.

The online platform said that the program, which was launched in March, has trained over 17,000 participants across Metro Manila, Pampanga, Naga, and Cavite.

It aims to explore partnerships with the LGUs of Bacolod, Baguio, Cebu, and Davao within the year, up to next year.