TikTok Shop brings Unlad Lokal to Pasig, spotlighting digital literacy in the age of discovery commerce

As digital platforms continue to reshape how Filipinos discover and buy products, TikTok Shop is bringing its MSME training initiative, “Unlad Lokal Roadshow Caravan,” to more local communities — this time in Pasig City.

Held at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Pasig, on Wednesday, May 20, the latest leg of the program gathered over 100 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), student entrepreneurs, aspiring sellers, and grassroots creators for a day of digital commerce training focused on content creation, livestream selling, and creator collaborations.

The initiative was mounted in partnership with the Pasig City Local Economic Development and Investment Office (LEDIO), alongside support from J&T Express Philippines and brand partners represented by NiuNorm, including Girl Code, Labsky, Glow Glass Beauty, JSkin, Twelve Twenty, and Kirste.

The expansion reflects how creator-led commerce and short-form content are increasingly becoming part of the conversation around local entrepreneurship and economic participation.

Discovery commerce becomes part of the MSME conversation

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2024 MSME Statistics underscores the sector’s outsized role in the local economy, with MSMEs making up 99.63% of registered businesses in the country and contributing more than 66% of total employment. The figures also reinforce the growing need for digitalization initiatives that can help small businesses remain competitive in an increasingly online marketplace.

Over the years, Pasig City has continued to invest in programs that encourage entrepreneurship and inclusive economic growth, from livelihood support and MSME development initiatives to business education efforts led by the Local Economic Development and Investment Office (LEDIO). Among these is the TAPAT program (Tulong Pampuhunang Ayuda sa Taga-Pasig), which provides startup assistance and livelihood opportunities for aspiring home-based entrepreneurs.

Building on these local efforts, Unlad Lokal introduces MSMEs and aspiring sellers to digital commerce practices centered on short-form content, livestream selling, affiliate marketing, and creator-driven product discovery. 

The training sessions gave participants practical insight into how digital platforms and content strategies can help businesses expand visibility and connect with wider audiences in today’s discovery-led 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 Pasig City Local Economic Development and Investment Office Officer-in-Charge, Mr. Crisostomo Ian P. Veron Cruz, MBA in a statement. 

_{From left: Pasig City Vice Mayor Robert Jaworski Jr. (7th from left); TikTok Shop Head of Ecosystem Development Erin Tagudin (6th from left) and Head of Public Policy for the Philippines at TikTok Shop Yves Gonzalez (8th from left), join representatives from the City of Pasig, TikTok Shop, partners, and participants during the Unlad Lokal Roadshow Caravan in Pasig City, which brought together MSMEs, aspiring entrepreneurs, and creators for digital commerce training and ecosystem engagement.}

For TikTok Shop, programs like Unlad Lokal similarly aim to bridge that transition through practical platform education.

“Nowadays, a lot of Filipino consumers — hindi na siya parang start of e-commerce — talagang e-commerce is here now. Discovery commerce is here, and so as an entrepreneur, malaking opportunity yung pagpasok mo sa e-commerce, sa TikTok Shop,” TikTok Shop Head of Public Policy for the Philippines Yves Gonzalez said in an interview with adobo Magazine.

Yves also added that the collaboration with the platform adds another layer to these efforts by introducing platform-based tools that reflect how consumer behavior is evolving online, where discovery increasingly happens through entertainment, community, and creator-driven content.

“You have to know the tools, the functionalities, the options available to you para talagang ma-maximize mo yung opportunities available to you as an entrepreneur.”

Furthermore, Yves underscores that building a strong digital economy isn’t just about promoting online selling but also requires protecting users and strengthening their overall digital capability.

According to him, enabling entrepreneurs to take advantage of opportunities in e-commerce, such as platforms like TikTok Shop, and addressing risks in the digital space, such as scams, misinformation, and unsafe online practices, both need to be developed together to ensure a healthy digital ecosystem.

“Working hand in hand, those two things — the positive and fighting the negative — it’s important that we really empower every Filipino entrepreneur and citizen to become better digital citizens in the online space, both on the selling part and even on the social media side,” he said.

“As we are now living in a very digital world, marami sa mga tao ngayon [ay] digital natives na talaga. So it’s important that we have all of the skills necessary for this, and of course, at TikTok Shop, we cannot do that all on our own, and that’s why we have to work with partners like Pasig City because sila yung nakakausap talaga ng entrepreneurs natin on the ground,” Yves continued. 

Ultimately, the conversation around MSME digitalization is increasingly tied not only to platform access, but also to equipping entrepreneurs with the skills to navigate the realities of online commerce responsibly and sustainably.

The initiative reflects how entrepreneurship programs are evolving alongside digital behavior, in which creator-led discovery, platform literacy, and community partnerships are becoming increasingly intertwined in shaping the future of local commerce.

The Pasig leg is part of TikTok Shop’s broader rollout of Unlad Lokal across different cities, including Taguig, Taytay, Muntinlupa, Marikina, and Quezon City. Since its launch, the initiative has reached over 25,000 entrepreneurs nationwide

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Filipino women entrepreneurs thrive through TikTok Shop’s digital ecosystem

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