Converge ICT Solutions Inc. is extending digital support to Cebu entrepreneurs as government and industry partners seek to help micro, small, and medium enterprises turn social commerce into a sustainable growth channel.
The Department of Trade and Industry, TikTok Shop, and Converge SME Solutions signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding on Aug. 25, combining e-commerce training, seller onboarding, and business connectivity under the Unlad Lokal program.
The partnership brings the initiative, launched by DTI and TikTok Shop in 2025, closer to entrepreneurs outside Luzon, starting in Cebu before expanding across the Visayas and Mindanao.
Under the agreement, TikTok Shop will train MSMEs in live selling and digital marketplace tools, while Converge will provide internet services designed for business operations. DTI will coordinate participation through its regional network.
Converge SME Solutions Senior Vice President and Head of SME Business Group Dindo Marzan said digital tools must be accessible enough for small businesses to use consistently.
“If technology feels too complicated or too expensive, MSMEs will simply leave it on the shelf,” Marzan said. “Our job is to make technology simple, affordable, and useful enough to become part of their everyday business.”
The Cebu rollout addresses two common barriers to digital adoption, cost and technical complexity, while potentially giving provincial businesses access to customers beyond their immediate markets.
The initiative comes as e-commerce becomes a larger component of the Philippine economy. The digital economy generated P2.74 trillion in gross value added in 2025, equivalent to 9.8 percent of gross domestic product, with e-commerce accounting for more than 32 percent.
For MSMEs, the partnership offers a combination that could matter more than training alone. Digital skills can attract customers, but reliable connectivity is what allows sellers to consistently turn those skills into transactions.
Starting in Cebu also gives the program a test case for expanding digital commerce support across the country’s regional business hubs.
