When Government, Platform, and Telecom Move Together
On August 25, 2026, in Cebu City, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), TikTok Shop, and Converge SME Solutions signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding that formalized what had been building for over a year: a coordinated effort to digitalize MSMEs beyond Metro Manila. The agreement builds on the Unlad Lokal program launched in 2025 and connects entrepreneurs with e-commerce training, digital infrastructure, and expanded market access.
Training That Actually Reaches the Provinces
The program’s design addresses a persistent bottleneck in Philippine digital commerce: the concentration of digital skills training in urban centers. TikTok Shop has committed to training entrepreneurs on live selling and digital marketplace tools, while Converge will deliver reliable, affordable internet services tailored for business operations. The initiative specifically targets high costs and technical complexity — the two barriers that Converge’s SVP Dindo Marzan acknowledged: “If technology feels too complicated or too expensive, MSMEs will simply leave it on the shelf”.
Cebu as a Test Case for National Rollout
The choice of Cebu for the MOU signing was deliberate. Between July 2025 and July 2026, TikTok Shop orders across Cebu and the wider Visayas region grew by 140%, while the number of sellers increased by 50% and creators by 160%. This data suggests that demand for digital selling tools outside Luzon is not a future possibility but a present reality. DTI Central Visayas Regional Director Esperanza Melgar framed the partnership’s ambition clearly: “We are not just getting entrepreneurs online, we are equipping them to thrive online”.
What MSMEs Should Do Now
Entrepreneurs in Visayas and Mindanao should monitor Unlad Lokal Roadshow schedules through DTI regional offices. The program covers seller onboarding, short-form video creation, live selling, affiliate marketing, and platform tools designed to improve product discoverability. For those already selling informally on social media, this represents a structured pathway to formalize and scale operations without the prohibitive costs of physical retail expansion.
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