The digital age has arrived in the Philippines, but apart from the big banks, financial institutions such as the stock market, food delivery services and restaurants, transport online services, etc., the bulk of local business still depends on cash and face-to-face payments. The use of digital payments are most utilized in buying loads for cellphones and internet services, and topping up loads for beep cards and RFIDs used in trains and tollways.
The President would like to even promote fast and reliable business transactions, this time for the benefit of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) which are after all the backbone, flesh and blood of the Philippine economy.
On Tuesday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to harness and upscale the micro, small and medium enterprises by introducing them to artificial intelligence (AI)- powered systems to comply with the changing technological demands. The Chief Executive released his directive during a sectoral meeting at Malacañang Palace.
President Marcos said the MSMEs need to be fully equipped with modern technology to keep up with both physical and online demands amid technological advancements.
“We are not teaching them to be engineers, AI engineers. We’re not teaching them to be blockchain engineers. We’re teaching them how to use the system that we have provided. That, I think, we have to be clear about that,” the President said.
“Don’t teach the theory that goes on behind it, but just teach what it is that they need to use the AI. That’s the whole point of AI, you just talk, that’s where we want to get them to,” he added.
The President also said the government’s efforts to introduce MSMEs to the AI system aims to ensure the ease of doing business, and to make it “as easy as possible, as simple as possible” for them.
In 2022, MSMEs comprised 99.59 percent of total establishments in the Philippines. They contributed 65.10 percent to total employment, highlighting their huge impact on jobs and livelihood in the country.
Artificial Intelligence is a new tool in information technology’s ever-expanding trove of amazing applications, and although still in its infancy stage, AI has proved to be effective in making business, education, media, engineering, medical care, transportation and other human activities move faster and safer.
While the use of AI initially resulted in some workers’ loss of jobs, this should be more than compensated by the technology’s potential and actual benefits in terms of higher sales, product and brand visibility and increased revenues for MSMEs.
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