PLDT Smart SME Nation gives away 1,400 websites absolutely free

A crowd of over a thousand entrepreneurs gathered at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila’s Harbor Tent last April 22nd, all with a singular mission: to gain valuable insight from telco industry leaders on how to utilize digital solutions to their advantage. Welcome to TechIsland 3.0, the country’s premiere tech-for-business conference held annually by PLDT Smart SME Nation.

This year’s TechIsland theme was Challenge. Change. Conquer, in line with PLDT Smart SME Nation’s campaign to encourage MSMEs to challenge the status quo, change the way they do business, and conquer new territories.

While 99.6% of the Philippines’ industrial sector is made up of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), only 1% have some sort of web presence. TechIsland addressed this considerable gap between business owners and simple, readily-available digital solutions by designing and giving away over 1,400 websites to TechIsland attendees — ready-to-use, and absolutely free.

“Our goal is to get our MSMEs online and encourage them to take advantage of the e-commerce space and other digital tools available for the growth of their business,” PLDT Vice President and Head of SME Nation Mitch Locsin announced. “We aim to boost their capabilities as they form the essential backbone of the economy, representing 99 percent of Philippine businesses.”

This unprecedented undertaking was done with the help of students of St. Mutien College in Pampanga who designed over 30% of the websites, and will continue to be engaged by PLDT Smart SME Nation for future projects.

By empowering MSMEs with the latest digital tools and business solutions, PLDT Smart SME Nation brings the focus back to nation-building, ensuring the Filipino entrepreneur’s success in an ever-expanding digital world.