Courier service J&T Express Philippines showcased its Certified Lokalista campaign in a webinar during the highly anticipated double-day sale on Nov. 11.
The campaign, which began on Oct. 16, 2020 and will run up to January 14, 2021, encourages people to buy local and to patronize and support small- and medium-sized enterprises in a bid to promote regional products to a larger national audience.
“Filipino entrepreneurs, especially those who went above and beyond amid the mobility restrictions brought about by the pandemic, deserve to be supported and recognized for their creativity and tenacity,” said Zoe Chi, vice president of J&T Express Philippines.
The Certified Lokalista campaign has been attracting entrepreneurs from across the country, many of whom are promoting and distributing their wares in other islands and regions outside their own for the very first time.
Nelly Dillera, executive director of the Department of Trade and Industry – Philippine Trade Training Center, said the e-commerce explosion has shone the spotlight on culture.
“Culture is the basis of how we can and should develop products, from food to wearables. What is important is preserving them while adapting to the new global economy. E-logistics has made it possible for local products and crafts to be brought to the homes of the people,” Dillera said.
With 75,000 online entrepreneurs now active on digital marketplaces, DTI “did a backward integration on helping people to start their own business and onboard e-commerce.”
Panel moderator Amor Maclang, co-founder of GeiserMaclang Communications Inc., said the increasingly popular digital double-day sales, launched on the same day of the same month by different online marketplaces, can be a long-overdue opportunity where shoppers can support regional entrepreneurs.
“It is because of these men and women that our local products are finally getting the recognition they deserve. Generations-old family recipes, regional specialties, and other proudly Filipino wares are becoming stars on these e- commerce platforms,” she said.
The campaign kickstarted in 2020 by awarding Filipino entrepreneurs with a Certified Lokalista badge that will recognize them as J&T trusted sellers.
These Certified Lokalistas, whose inspiring work has paved the way for the promotion of Filipino products, will be awarded P20,000 worth of free shipping by J&T Express.
“After the pandemic greatly reduced mobility, both old and new entrepreneurs without any previous e-commerce interest or experience joined the platform in droves. It was a matter of survival because people were staying away from brick-and-mortar stores and were doing a lot of their shopping online. But what these sellers may or may not realize is that by joining e-commerce, they aren’t just boosting online sales – they are becoming ambassadors of their own heritage,” Chi said.
Four Certified Lokalistas showcased their own homegrown products and produce during the webinar: Maria Todi, founder of the School of Living Tradition that is based in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato and produces T’boli shirts, bracelets, necklaces, and rugs, among other heirlooms; Katherine Jordan, Marketing Head of the Leyte-based online food store Mary’s Abuyog Special Toskolyet Moron, atp.; Rica Dakudao-Buenaflor, who relocated from Davao to Bicol in 2002 and founded Que Rica to produce Bicol cuisine; and Rheeza Santiago-Hernandez who specializes in Bulacan dishes such as the hamon bulaqueña.
“Community can be vital in the promotion and expansion of entrepreneurship. Lokalistas or local entrepreneurs are the best ones to reach out to their fellow entrepreneurs, and J&T will support them in that endeavour. As the logistics company with the fastest and farthest-reaching operations, no region is too far-flung and no seller is too out-of-reach,” Chi said.