PLDT helping agri folks earn more via e-commerce

MANILA, Philippines — The PLDT Group has partnered with Department of Agriculture (DA) and Tiktok Shop to help farmers and fishers take advantage of e-commerce platforms to raise income.

PLDT Inc. and its wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. are collaborating with TikTok Shop and the DA’s Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) to assist partner farmers and fisherfolk in generating more income through the ‘Buy Local Bazaar’ program.

The ‘Buy Local Bazaar’,  a special selling event at TikTok Shop, has enabled over 50 agro-enterprises to strengthen their online presence and expand their market reach on the platform.

“PLDT and Smart firmly believe in the role of technology in extending livelihood opportunities that can help increase profits over time. Our initiatives on digital upskilling such as the ‘Buy Local Bazaar’, made possible by our partnership with TikTok Philippines and DA-ATI, will hopefully accelerate this advocacy further,” PLDT and Smart stakeholder management team head Stephanie Orlino said.

Since 2019, PLDT and Smart have established and strengthened their partnership with ATI to assist farmers, fisherfolk, and agro-enterprises towards digital literacy with the Digital Farmers Program.

ATI director Remelyn Recoter said the agency acknowledges the crucial role of digital technologies in helping the  country’s primary producers become more globally competitive, productive, and resource efficient.

“We continuously find ways to provide our local farmers and fisherfolk with opportunities for development, such as financial and technical support, among others,” she said.

“Working with our partners from PLDT, Smart, and TikTok Philippines can advance our mission to build more economies of scale and solidify the sector’s path to overall industrialization and modernization,” the ATI official said.

The Tiktok Shop was launched in the country last year, and has seen continued growth in terms of its community of merchants and creators, Tiktok Philippines public policy head Toff Rada said.

“The Buy Local Bazaar program with the support of PLDT, Smart and DA-ATI is among the many avenues we provide to empower enterprising Filipinos with the means to engage with the larger community on TikTok, grow their social presence, and build authentic connections with their consumers,” he said.

The collaboration is also an initiative under PLDT and Smart’s ‘eBizNovation’, a digital skilling-to-e-commerce program for MSMEs and cooperatives to help them grow their market reach and eventually generate more sales.

PLDT and Smart fully commit to uplifting the agriculture and fishery sectors through livelihood opportunities from technology. This is aligned with the United Nations’ SDG #1: No Poverty and SDG #8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.