Around 40 business owners and members of cooperatives in Balingasag, Misamis Oriental, gained social media marketing and artificial intelligence know-how during the recent eBizNovation training by PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), in partnership with the municipal government of Balingasag and DTI Misamis Oriental.
“We thank PLDT and Smart for sharing their time to help educate MSMEs in Balingasag. We should never be left behind, especially in business. At the end of the day, what we want is to have successful businesses, and social media use for marketing is crucial,” said Municipal Mayor Atty. Alexis Quina.
Hermimia Maria Roa, Chairman of Balingasag Producers Cooperative, which specializes in bangus products, expressed her gratitude to PLDT and Smart for helping her realize the importance of having a social media page and using Artificial Intelligence tools for content creation. “We have been planning to expand our business outside Balingasag. With this training, I can finally start selling our products and reach more customers online,” she said.
PLDT and Smart’s #eBizNovation program, which harnesses digital technologies, aims to enhance the lives and livelihoods of communities across the country. These efforts align with the group’s commitment to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG No. 1: No Poverty, SDG No. 5: Gender Equality, and SDG No. 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.