Senator Sonny Angara called for the support of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in assisting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in filling the gap between sellers and the market.
Given the limited capacity of some MSMEs in technology and connectivity, Sen. Angara said that the DTI should mull over on assistance that it could extend to get products in far-flung areas to markets such as Metro Manila.
The Senator cited a case of community weavers from Batangas who are unable to sell their wares due to travel restrictions and other indigenous communities who rely on traditional methods of selling.
"It would be a shame to lose our cultural heritage due to this pandemic. These are traditions that are worth preserving and I'm certain there will be a strong demand for these products once access to them is made available," he said.
Sen. Angara called for the support of the Department of Agriculture and the DTI to hasten efforts to link the fishing and agriculture industries to online platforms.
"This is as good a time as any to introduce these groups and other MSMEs to selling their products online. They should take advantage of this opportunity to tap this market that continues to grow especially now when most Filipinos would rather stay at home than go out," the Senator said as he encouraged the concerned agencies to build relationships with e-commerce platforms.
"In order to continue operating and generating revenues during the community quarantines, entrepreneurs have started shifting to online markets. This is currently where all the action is so if the businesses that were shuttered for the past three months are thinking of resuming operations immediately, online is the way to go," he added.
He also asked for the support of the public to support local industries by purchasing local products.
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