The National Development Company (NDC), in partnership with food business incubator Mercato Centrale Group, unveiled the beta launch of the Philippine E-commerce Platform (PEP) at the recent National MSME Summit 2023 held at The Manila Hotel.
PEP is the first government omnichannel that was created to promote Filipino businesses and help them expand online. The platform prioritizes Filipino products and onboards businesses officially registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and other government agencies, adding another layer of consumer protection. It also gives buyers access to a wider range of locally-made products by tapping public sector initiatives such as Go Lokal.
The DTI-supported platform is owned by the NDC and connects thru DICT’s e-Gov super-app, the platform for all Philippine government services. Mercato Centrale Group donated the technology to NDC.
“We laud the NDC and the Mercato Centrale Group for launching the PEP.
We are hopeful that the PEP will significantly expand the prese ce of Filipino companies and products onlkne, allowing MSMEs to broaden their markers and grow their businesses,” said Go Negosyo founder and chairman and vice chairman of the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Development Council (MSMEDC) Joey Concepcion.
The platform is aligned with the President’s 8-point agenda, particularly bureaucratic efficiency, focusing on digitalization and modernization of all government processes and operations.
The project also supports the Strategic Development Plan of Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure under the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.
In the Philippines, e-commerce growth is forecasted to rise by as much as 22.9 percent in 2023 – already the 20th largest market for e-commerce globally and projected to hit at least $16 billion in 2023.
