23 November 2020 via Recorded Message
With today’s launch of the Philippine Startup Week 2020, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reaffirms its commitment to strengthen the local startup community and showcase the country’s growing startup ecosystem. This large-scale initiative was organized in collaboration with the Departments of Science and Technology (DOST) and Information and Communications Technology (DICT), as well the QBO Innovation Hub and private sector partners like the PLDT Group.
Through this event, DTI hopes to inspire our people to come up with new, relevant, and disruptive innovations that would address the needs of our society, especially with our country burdened by the present COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to the pandemic, we had already seen the valued Filipino creativity and entrepreneurship in full force with the growing startup community offering valued innovative services. For example, ECFulfill, an enterprise solutions startup, partnered with DTI’s Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) to help our Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and exporters to sell on global platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy.
We are confident that with the Philippine Startup Week, our digital, tech-enabled startup enterprises will find ways to lead our country towards post-pandemic economic recovery and national competitiveness.
DTI’s Slingshot Conference this Wednesday, November 25, will focus on how we can capitalize on collaboration to promote the growth of our startups and foster the development of our startup ecosystem. It will also tackle how startup enablers can harness cross-border collaboration and cooperation to productively engage aspiring entrepreneurs and support other local initiatives for development.
In addition, the Conference will feature local startups whose international experience and connections can provide guidance and inspiration to other startups in their efforts to scale up and globalize. While most of our startups are still in the early stages of funding and startup development, providing adequate assistance will boost their potential and help them scale up. Hence, DTI will support startups in their growth, overseas exposure, and experience in the international market.
This support would include the following: provision of funding and capital requirements; programs for market expansion and industry matching; ease of regulatory requirements and compliance; access to relevant local and international networks and mentors; and assistance for international market expansion.
With the aid of the Filipino creative community of innovators, entrepreneurs, and enablers, we aim to create more entrepreneurial opportunities for doing business in our country, which would generate more jobs and employment for our people. In doing so, we will move past the “New Normal” and shift towards a “Better Normal,” wherein our people can enjoy a better and more comfortable quality of life as promised by our President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
Let us dream bigger and brighter so that we can build a modern, dynamic, and responsive technology entrepreneurs in a post-COVID Philippines. We hope that everyone here will help to realize that dream with us.♦
Date of Release: 25 November 2020