PLDT, Smart upskill more women
as digital entrepreneurs in BARMM

PLDT and its wireless arm Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), recently partnered with the Ministry of Trade, Investments and Tourism of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MTIT-BARMM) to boost livelihood opportunities for female entrepreneurs through the eBiznovation program.

Underscoring the PLDT group’s longstanding drive to promote inclusion and empower women through technology, more than 20 Muslim women were equipped with knowledge on basic photography, videography, social media marketing, and Canva, to help them thrive in this digital age. The business owners also had the chance to apply their newly acquired digital skills, during a hands-on activity creating content for their products, such as bottled gourmet dilis, blended fruit shakes, and coffee.

“We are happy to support BARMM-MTIT as they usher their women entrepreneurs into the digital age. PLDT and Smart continue to partner with like-minded organizations to empower Filipinos, regardless of their gender, class, religion, ethnicity, and abilities, to participate in economic activities through digital e-commerce platforms,” said Judee Chaves, PLDT and Smart Mindanao Relations Head.

Through the eBiznovation program, the PLDT group aims to empower more micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprise (MSMEs) owners, cooperatives, and other underprivileged sectors across the country to use digital tools to market their products and services through social media and e-commerce platforms.

“PLDT and Smart’s support has been instrumental in promoting digital inclusion and livelihood among MSMEs in the region. Together, we have made significant strides in empowering local businesses and fostering economic growth. We look forward to continuing our partnership and making a lasting impact on the communities we serve,” said Snooky Gani, Division Chief of Enterprise and Trade Development at BARMM-MTIT.

Berhana Abdul, owner of Angel’s Fruit Shake, expressed her gratitude saying, “Thank you, PLDT and Smart, for bringing this program to us. I have learned so much. We were spending a lot on graphic design, and now, with this training, we can directly apply to our businesses the learnings we have obtained.”

This initiative is also aligned with the PLDT group’s commitment to helping the Philippines achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, and to support the government’s overall digitalization thrust as one of the founding members of the government-mandated Presidential Private Sector Advisory Council, under its Digital Infrastructure pillar.