MANILA -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. gave assurance that micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) would be empowered and enabled to participate in the digital economy under his administration.

In his opening remarks during the Country Strategy Dialogue at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, the chief executive told investors that MSMEs are the central theme of his administration’s digitalization efforts.

“We aim to empower and enable MSMEs to participate in the digital economy and thus significantly narrow the digital divide,” Marcos said.

President Marcos said the Philippine government recognizes the importance of digitalization as a key driver for long-term development and the economic transformation of the post-pandemic global economy.

The President likewise told investors that the country’s CREATE Act or Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act provided much-needed relief for the country’s MSMEs through a reduction in the corporate income tax rate and ending investor uncertainty.

In his one-on-one dialogue with WEF President Børge Brende, President Marcos pointed out that his administration is concentrating on the MSMEs because they comprise a large part of the economy, similar to most Southeast Asian countries.

“And I think that’s where the growth is coming from,” Marcos said, noting that his government kept an eye on the country’s unemployment rate amid reports of a recession last year.

Meanwhile, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual said among his objectives in attending the WEF is to exchange ideas on how to help MSMEs.

“Ang pinunta ko rito, isa na ‘yun nga ‘yung makipag-usap sa mga investor, pero ang isang mas malaking objective ko nga eh makapag-exchange ng ideas kung papaano halimbawa tutulungan ang mga maliliit na negosyo, ‘yung mga tinatawag nating MSME,” Marcos said in an interview on Wednesday.

“Ang DTI ay nandito para tulungan na lumago ang mga negosyo mula sa maliit na microenterprises hanggang sa mga higanteng industriya at nandito kami para ayusin ang environment, ‘yung tinatawag na mga regulasyon, at mga iba pang patakaran na susundin ng mga negosyo, at magbigay din ng tulong diretso kamukha ng financing para sa mga maliliit na negosyo,” the President added. (PCO)