Women entrepreneurs are among the driving forces behind small businesses that create jobs, support families, and strengthen local economies across the country. As AI and digital technologies reshape how businesses compete and grow, equipping women-led enterprises with the skills to harness these tools is an investment both in their success and in a more inclusive, digitally empowered Philippine economy.
Driven by its mission to help small businesses grow, PLDT Enterprise, the B2B arm of PLDT and Smart, drew from the PLDT Group’s #KonektedforLivelihoods digital entrepreneurship program, to support the 2026 Central Luzon Women Entrepreneurs’ Summit, organized by the Department of Trade and Industry Region 3 (DTI Region 3) and held recently at the City of San Fernando in Pampanga.
“Behind every business is a woman of vision and determination to make things happen,” said DTI Region 3 Director Edna Dizon, as she welcomed participants to the event, held in part to kickstart the DTI’s celebration of the 2026 MSME Development Week.
The summit, themed “Empowering Women Through AI, Digitalization, and Logistics Innovation,” gathered women entrepreneurs, industry experts, and partner organizations from across the region for a day of learning sessions on digital tools, cybersecurity, and business growth strategies. PLDT and Smart resource speakers walked participants through practical applications of artificial intelligence and digital security, skills that many of the entrepreneurs said they had never had the chance to explore before.
Ellen Gonzales, 57, owner of food enterprise Panimari, said that she initially found it difficult to keep up with new technology at her age, but became motivated once she understood how AI could help refine her products and improve how she responds to customer inquiries.
Fellow entrepreneur Melvin Malvataan, co-owner of Magpocs Araro Cookies and Pastries, said that tools like Canva and AI have already made it easier for his family's business to prepare product offers and improve packaging labels.
DTI Region 3 Director Dizon added that PLDT and Smart have been consistent partners in helping small businesses use digital platforms to grow. She noted that many entrepreneurs do struggle with generative AI tools, making the PLDT and Smart session useful in providing a clearer sense of how to apply these tools to their own operations, from customer engagement to market promotion.
Stephanie V. Orlino, AVP and head of Stakeholder Engagement at PLDT and Smart, said that the company sees capacity building as a long-term investment in women-led businesses. “Digital skills training does not end when the seminar does. Our goal is to walk alongside women entrepreneurs as they apply what they’ve learned, so the tools translate into real growth for their businesses and their communities,” Orlino said.
John Eric Alviz, VP and Head of SME Growth Marketing, Digital and Trade at PLDT Enterprise, said that the company’s role goes beyond providing connectivity. “PLDT Enterprise believes that reliable connectivity should open doors, not just keep businesses online. Through partnerships like this one with DTI, we want MSMEs to see digital tools as something that can genuinely move their business forward,” Alviz said.
Through its #KonektedforLivelihoods program, the PLDT Group continues to work hand-in-hand with national agencies to help fuel local economic growth and sharpen the competitive edge of local enterprises by equipping them with the tools needed to thrive in the digital economy.
