Edelyn Sitchon Cañero, 66, has built Edelyn’s Homemade Nuts into a well-known name both in her community and online, with the brand’s Facebook page drawing a big following. Even with that established presence, Cañero knew she had to learn newer content formats like Reels to keep her business’ online presence fresh and compelling.
That opportunity came when the PLDT Group, in partnership with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Pampanga, brought its MSME Biz Up! caravan to the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. MSME Biz Up! is an initiative of PLDT Enterprise, the B2B arm of PLDT and Smart, dedicated to helping MSMEs grow through access to digital tools and business resources.
Drawing from the Group’s #KonektedforLivelihoods program, the caravan included sessions on the basics of creating Reels to market products online, as well as cybersecurity awareness to help protect one’s business from scams.
Cañero was one of several Pampanga-based entrepreneurs who took part in the training. She joined farmers, food producers, and small business owners looking to sharpen their digital marketing skills and grow their livelihoods.
While her brand already posts short-form video content on TikTok and other platforms, Cañero said she joined the session to stay updated on newer tools and techniques for reaching customers online. “MSMEs are the backbone of our economy, and I thank PLDT and Smart for helping MSMEs like us improve our digital marketing skills,” she said.
Alma Mesa, 47, a member of the Pansinao Parents Agricultural Association in Candaba, Pampanga, said that she would like to apply what she learned to show her association’s white and yellow corn products from planting all the way to being sold in the market, to give customers a closer look at how their food is grown and processed.
Marco Dandin Lintag, 35, owner of Abuelas Food Products, shared that he plans to use the techniques discussed in the session to improve the quality of the content on his brand’s existing Facebook page and draw more customers online.
“Partnerships are at the heart of how we support MSMEs. Working with agencies like DTI Pampanga and drawing from our corporate shared value programs allow us not only to bring our enterprise solutions directly to entrepreneurs in the communities. These collaborations also give us the opportunity to help level up entrepreneurs’ skills,” said John Eric S. Alviz, VP and Head of SME Growth Marketing, Digital and Trade at PLDT.
Stephanie V. Orlino, AVP and Head of Stakeholder Engagement at PLDT and Smart, echoed this commitment. “Sessions like this are part of our broader push for capacity building among MSMEs. This is what #KonektedforLivelihoods is about: equipping MSMEs, whether just starting out or already established like Edelyn’s Homemade Nuts, with the tools to keep growing in the digital economy,” she said.
As the digital economy continues to expand, PLDT and Smart reaffirm their commitment to supporting local small businesses, to help ensure that entrepreneurs nationwide, from home-based food producers to farming associations, are equipped with the tools and skills to thrive in an increasingly connected marketplace.
