By Edwin P. Galvez
Many people all over the world tap their phones to buy online, particularly mobile-first Filipinos who spend the most time—at least nine hours—on the Internet every day.
This is why the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is tapping into the surging growth of e-commerce in the country, while “finding solutions to problems brought about by Covid-19 through research and in developing and providing applications.”
In virtual news conference recently, Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña, together with leaders of #PinasMunaTayo movement and Entrepinoy Volunteers Foundation Inc., led the virtual launching of OneSToreCity, the mobile application of the government-initiated shopping portal OneSTore.ph.
Ambassador Benedicto V. Yujuico, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), and Kingson U. Sian, CEO and president of Travellers International Hotel Group Inc. represented #PinasMunaTayo.
Available on Google Play to Android phone users, OneSToreCity is primarily a product delivery application for the “reinvigorated” OneSTore.ph that the DOST first developed in July 2015.
OneSTore.ph, which to date offers 12,100 products from enrolled 368 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), is supported by various government agencies, including the Department of Trade and Industry and Department of Agriculture.
Mobile app expands MSMEs’ market reach
“The MSMEs count as one of the most affected sectors during this crisis,” de la Peña said. “Most enterprises, particularly those that are not providing essential products and services, had to stop operations in compliance with the government’s guideline.”
De la Peña said that “nurturing e-commerce” through the OneSToreCity application will contribute to the country’s economic recovery and help MSMEs “grow and progress.”
OneSTore project leader and DOST Regional Director Sancho A. Mabborang expressed optimism that more Filipinos will buy from OneSTore.ph using the mobile application because it carries “only the best Filipino products available not in ordinary stores but only in specialized markets.”
Mabborang, who presented the online shop’s milestones at the launching, said “DOST intervened and introduced the government-initiated e-commerce platform” five years ago to help MSMEs with good products but no “substantial market or marketing skills.”
“With the increasing number of MSME enrollees, we have continuously upgraded every single feature of the platform to provide an effortless shopping experience,” said Mabborang.
Greater convenience, access, and additional income
The MSMEs, many of which suffered from losses due to the Covid-19 pandemic, are assisted by the DOST through one of its flagship programs, the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (Setup).
“In this pandemic, we actually levelled up our assistance to MSMEs through the improved OneSTore.ph to provide greater convenience, particularly to merchants and users in the countryside,” de la Peña said.
The Science secretary said the mobile application will “further increase the market reach of OneSTore-assisted products since delivery will no longer be limited to logistics partners and, hence, provide income amid the Covid-19 pandemic.”
OneSTore.ph, also called OneSTore Express, operates nationwide and caters primarily to Filipino consumers, promising to bring “high-quality local products right to your doorsteps.”
From only 10 products uploaded during its launching in 2015, the store now carries 12,100 products coming mainly from DOST’s SETUP-assisted firms from the processed foods, agriculture, gifts and house decors, furniture and metals and engineering sectors.
The site also provides retailers, including the Filipino Inventors Society Producers Cooperative, with “simple and direct access to one of the largest customer bases in the country.”
“We will soon offer fabrication materials on food and nutrition, beauty and wellness products, and anti-Covid products like face masks, face shields and anti-bacterial soaps,” Mabborang said.
The mobile and web applications form part of DOST’s efforts to “continuously expand the market” of MSMEs.
These include 28 physical stores called the OneSTore Hub located all over the country, OneSTore vending machines maintained in five major cities and the portable OneSTore kiosks, a stand-alone technology for product selling used during big events.
Mabborang explained that the mobile platform can provide employment and income to Filipinos with vehicles, especially former overseas workers, by delivering the products of local producers and OneSTore hub in their areas.
“Using this app, we’re giving our people down to the barangay level the opportunity to earn when they provide logistics services to the local entrepreneur,” Mabborang said.
De la Peña added that when the demand for products from OneSTore increases, “there is potential that employment will also increase.”
OneSTore platforms push sales
Mabborang reported that OneSTore operations had generated P230 million in walk-in sales through the OneSTore hubs, and P2.4 million in sales with its e-commerce platform.
“With our promotion of the importance of online selling, we expect these figures to continuously improve,” Mabborang said.
Mabborang reported “a surge of orders during the pandemic” in OneSTore, estimating pickup in sales from 20 percent to 30 percent.
Presently, Lazada is the most used e-commerce platform in the country, but globally, OneSTore.ph ranks fourth.
Hits and unique visits to OneSTore.ph also “significantly increased since 2016, except last year with the upgrading of the web site.”
The number of unique visitors jumped from 126,247 in 2017 to 736,665 in 2019.
Mabborang said that 65 percent of the uploaded products belong to the food sector, which counts nine out of the top-10 best-selling products in the platform from October 2019 to present.
These are Cookie Sticks Chocolate Chip Classic, 60 percent Dark Chocolate with Coffee Grounds, Assorted Butterscotch Squares, Tablea Chocolate Solids, Gourmet Tuyo Mild, Insect Repellent with Citronella, Bicol’s Best Bicol Express Pork, Sundried Tomato Sardines, Tableya, Montano Spanish Style Sardines, Dielle’s Mead Honey Wines and Enuff Natural Cacao Nibs.
From over-the-counter payments, the platform’s third-party solution partners now include 2GO Express, Air21, Black Arrow Express, Shopinas.com, Landbank, PayMaya, Dragonpay, Dynamic Outsource Solutions One Customer Service, and Multisys. Paymongo, Ninja Van, LBC and J&T Express are expected to be on board soon.
Interested MSMEs can e-mail support@onestore.ph or records@ro2.dost.gov.ph, call (078) 396-0763 or 0995-9443609, or visit www.facebook.com/oneSTore.ph for further information.
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