Various private firms and local entrepreneurs attended an orientation on oneSTore, the first government e-commerce platform developed to promote and market local goods produced by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) assisted local entrepreneurs.
The orientation, held on September 22 at the DOST Central Visayas science & technology Complex, was attended by private stakeholders that are either involved in one-STore operations or interested to get involved in the endeavor. Engr. Jonathan Nuestro, oneSTore assistant team leader, and Christopher Musni, oneSTore lead developer, conducted the orientation. Nuestro gave an overview on one-STore and oneSTore Express and discussed the terms of reference in the implementation of the project. Musni, on the other hand, discussed on the oneSTore Exchange and third-party payment solution.
Launched in January 2015, one-STore was initially intended as a solution to address difficulties in marketing goods produced by DOST-assisted companies, including small- and medium-scale businesses assisted by the DOST under the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (Setup).
The presence of oneSTore has provided an online shopping and selling destination where DOST-assisted entrepreneurs can sell their products and where consumers can have a wider range of indigenous DOST-assisted products to choose from. About 10,000 products from DOST-assisted companies in the entire country are uploaded as online commodities on oneSTore as of August 2017. The product categories sold online include food, agriculture, furniture, handicraft and metal.
From January 2015 to August 2017, oneSTore had already registered 6,971,202 hits, and generated a total of P41.8 million in combined online and walk-in sales. To further boost sales, oneSTore administrators also plan to offer cash on delivery as a mode of payment.
To provide solution to its online payment, logistics and other concerns, oneSTore has partnered with Air 21, which takes care of safe door-to-door delivery of goods, and Land Bank of the Philippines, which e-payment portal provides online payment solution for sellers and customers.
At present, oneSTore also runs 15 operational hubs, making it a potential “chain of minimart offering unique products from different regions and provinces.”
In attendance during the orientation were the officers and representatives of the following firms: Air 21, Cebu People’s Cooperative, Arden Classic, Tekton EMPC, Kiddie Bakehaus, OSS Torta, Dundee’s Bakeshop, Feb 20 Enterprise, Bon-Ace and Southern Partners Trade Center Inc. S&T Media Service