For the second straight year, PLDT and Smart employees have come together to help local farmers and local artisans.
“True to our commitment to create a #HappySpace for our workforce, we are happy to see our employees join hands to support our partner farmers and artisans. We will continue to create opportunities like this to provide meaningful and lasting value to the communities that we serve,” Cathy Yang, First Vice President and Group Head of Corporate Communications at PLDT and Smart.
Held at the Makati City headquarters of PLDT and Smart, the annual Valentine sale is organized to benefit local farming and micro-, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) communities.
Participating MSMEs included Cocoplus, a vendor of virgin coconut oil and derivatives, Don Juan Filipino Delicacies, which specializes in local sweets and baked goods, Kakaw Galyon, showcasing Filipino cacao products; and Panederia de Arca, offering the famous pugon-baked broas of Luisiana, Laguna. These partners are beneficiaries of PLDT and Smart’s eBiznovation program, a digital upskilling initiative that encourages MSMEs to advance the digitalization of their businesses to expand their reach.
![PLDT, Smart employees support partner MSMEs and communities PLDT, Smart employees support partner MSMEs and communities](http://www.upgrademag.com/web/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image-scaled.jpeg)
A longtime partner of PLDT and Smart, Nene’s Flowershop, also sold fresh floral arrangements, with a portion of their profits committed to PLDT and Smart’s sustainability fund for #PlantSmart kits and food security initiatives in partner communities.
“We are always grateful for the help that has been extended to us all these years. And we are happy for the opportunity to be of help to other communities as well,” said Nene Ticong, owner of Nene’s Flowershop.
“The skills and knowledge we gained from PLDT and Smart’s eBiznovation training have helped us build our digital platforms and online payment system, and ultimately helped boost online presence and sales. We are thankful for this opportunity,” said Isagani V. De Ocampo, owner of Kakaw Galyon.
PLDT and Smart are committed to uplifting the lives of Filipinos through livelihood and entrepreneurship opportunities made possible by technology. These initiatives also support the UN SDGs #1 No Poverty and #8 Decent Work and Economic Growth.