TikTok Shop continues the rollout of the Unlad Lokal Roadshow Caravan, its flagship training and education program for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), with its Pasig City leg, aimed at strengthening livelihood opportunities in the digital economy for entrepreneurs, students, and grassroots creators.
Held at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Pasig, the session gathered over 100 participants composed of MSMEs, entrepreneur students, and aspiring sellers and creators. The initiative was conducted in partnership with the Pasig City Local Economic Development and Investment Office (LEDIO), the city’s lead office for entrepreneurship development, investment facilitation, and local enterprise support, and supported by J&T Express Philippines and NiuNorm, representing their brand partners, Girl Code, Labsky, Glow Glass Beauty, JSkin, Twelve Twenty, and Kirste.
“The City of Pasig has long demonstrated a strong and sustained commitment to building a supportive environment for local businesses, from structured livelihood programs to entrepreneurship education and investment support,” said Yves Gonzalez, Head of Public Policy for the Philippines at TikTok Shop. “Through Unlad Lokal, we are building on that foundation by equipping MSMEs with practical digital commerce skills, from content creation to livestream selling and creator collaboration, so they can expand their reach beyond their immediate communities and participate more meaningfully in the digital economy.”
Strengthening Pasig’s MSME Ecosystem Through Digital Commerce
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2024 MSME Statistics, MSMEs account for 99.63% of all registered business establishments and over 66% of employment nationwide, highlighting the sector’s significant role in the Philippine economy and the growing importance of digitalization initiatives that support small business competitiveness.
Pasig City has consistently positioned itself as a hub for local entrepreneurship and inclusive economic modernization through sustained investments in MSME development, livelihood assistance, and business education programs led by LEDIO, as well as the TAPAT program (Tulong Pampuhunang Ayuda sa Taga-Pasig), which supports aspiring home-based entrepreneurs through startup capital assistance and livelihood opportunities.
Unlad Lokal complements these efforts by introducing practical, platform-based digital commerce training focused on short-form video creation, livestream selling, affiliate marketing, and content-driven product discovery. For participating MSMEs and aspiring entrepreneurs in Pasig, the sessions provided hands-on exposure to how digital tools can be used for visibility and business growth in an increasingly content-driven economy.
“Programs like Unlad Lokal strengthen our efforts to make Pasig’s MSMEs more competitive and future-ready by helping them adapt to the realities of today’s digital economy. This partnership with TikTok Shop gives our entrepreneurs practical exposure to how digital platforms, creator collaborations, and content-driven commerce, while helping us future-proof local businesses through digitalization and alternative market access,” said Mr. Crisostomo Ian P. Veron Cruz, MBA, Officer-in-Charge of the Pasig City Local Economic Development and Investment Office.
Advancing Inclusive Digitalization for MSMEs and Creators
The initiative also highlights how creator-led commerce is becoming an increasingly important growth driver for local businesses, enabling entrepreneurs to work with digital creators or develop their own content to build trust, engagement, and conversion in real time. By integrating these approaches into local entrepreneurship programs, TikTok Shop aims to help MSMEs transition from offline or informal selling models into more scalable digital-first businesses.
Since launching Unlad Lokal, TikTok Shop has brought the program to several local government partners, including Taguig, Taytay, Muntinlupa, Marikina, and Quezon City, reaching over 25,000 entrepreneurs nationwide. Through these collaborations, TikTok Shop continues to expand access to digital commerce education and creator-led business opportunities for MSMEs and aspiring entrepreneurs across different communities
“Through Unlad Lokal, we are working with local governments like Pasig to ensure that MSMEs are not left behind in the shift toward digital commerce,” Gonzalez added. “What we consistently see is that when MSMEs are equipped with the right digital tools and support systems, they are able to move from informal or community-based selling into more scalable businesses that can compete in a national digital marketplace.”
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