The Philippines has seen an exponential growth in its small and medium enterprises (SMEs). According to the Department of Trade and Industry, the number of SMEs in the country has increased 66% from 492,510 in 1995 to 816,759 in 2011. They comprise 99.6% of all registered businesses in the country and provide jobs to 3.9 million people.
Along with the growth of SMEs is the increase of the country’s internet users. The latest statistics from Global Web Index shows that the Philippines outperformed the internet population growth of its Asian counterparts, growing 531% from 2009 to 2014. The nation currently has the 14th largest internet population, with 44 million of its citizens having an online presence.
SMEs need to keep up with the quick adaptation of Filipinos to the latest technologies. Now included in business maturity is the presence of a digital outlet. However, having an online presence isn’t enough: Filipinos take content seriously and consider it as an important step towards launching a strong social presence. The question, then, is how SMEs can grab the attention of the public while informing them of the offerings that they can get.
This is how PLDT SME Nation helps SMEs. With its goal of making SMEs more reachable to Filipinos, PLDT SME Nation has constantly partnered with its clients to make the communication between businesses and the Philippine market more engaging and informative. With this, PLDT SME Nation will open Tech Island 2.0.
Tech Island 2.0 will provide business strategies from the top leaders of different industries. With the theme “Transformational Leadership in the Digital Era” for its first day, speakers include PLDT Executive Vice President and Head of Enterprise and International and Carrier Business Eric Alberto, Rappler Chief Executive Officer Maria Ressa, Golden ABC President and CEO Bernie Liu, TV5 Sports and Digital Head Chot Reyes, and Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.
The second day will center on digital solutions and the identity creation on the internet. With the theme “Mastering the Digital Wave”, speakers include Amihan Global Strategies Managing Director Winston Damarillo, Foodpanda Philippines Chief Executive Officer Mauro Cochierri, International Data Corporation Software and Services Director for ASEAN Roger Ling, and IdeaSpace Foundation President and Co-Founder Earl Valencia.
Discovery sessions will also be held to educate SMEs on the current and future business landscape of the country. These will be delivered by top technology brands such as Microsoft, Samsung, and Cicso.
After full days of sessions and discussion, participants will have the chance to party with Ellen Adarna in a celebration on the beach, where everyone can savor the sea and the sand.
Tech Island 2.0 will be held on April 15 to 16, with the first day catering to key business owners and the second to the IT and development community. It will take place in the high-adventure environment of Ocean Adventure, Subic Bay. To learn more about the event, visit pldtsme-nation.com.ph.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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