CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro (PIA) — Around 88 local market vendors and business owners in the province learn about digital transactions to modernize their businesses.
This after a public information campaign was conducted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), on March 12 here to educate the participants on how to maximize the use of mobile payment applications and other online transaction methods.
The session included hands-on demonstrations of how to use QR code scanning and mobile payment applications such as GCash and PayMaya.
BSP Southern Luzon Bank Officer Hazel V. Ramirez said that digital payments not only offer a safer and more efficient way of doing business but also open up new opportunities for growth where cashless transactions are becoming the norm.
“Ang digital transactions po ay hindi lamang to promote po ang ligtas at mas effective way ng pamamahala ng isang negosyo, kundi nagbubukas din ng mga bagong opportunity para sa paglago ng inyong mga negosyo lalo na ngayon sa panahon [na] mas lalong naging normal na ang mga cashless transactions,” Ramirez said.
For many of the business owners, the forum was an eye-opener.
Athena Z. Ambat, a 58-year old business owner from the town of Puerto Galera, sees the shift as an important change for small businesses like hers.
“Ngayon ko na-realize ang mga benepisyo nito kung paano nito tinutulungan yung paghawak o pag-manage ng isang negosyo o tindahan…mas okay at ligtas ang mga transaksyon at bawas pa yung panganib ng paghahawak ng pera. Sa tingin ko ay ito ang magiging kinabukasan ng negosyo talaga kasi marami na talagang gumagamit niyan ngayon kaya lang marami lang hindi talaga alam paano gumamit niyan,” Ambat said.
The participants were also briefed on the security measures associated with digital transactions, a key concern for many small-scale vendors hesitant to adopt new technologies.
According to Ramirez, among the most significant challenges for small-scale vendors are the fear of fraud and cyber threats, especially as they move away from traditional cash-based transactions.
She also stressed that there are security tools embedded in digital payment systems which aim to minimize risks.
“Pero ang paggamit po ng digital transactions ay may kaakibat dapat na seguridad katulad ng encryption at two-factor authentication na importante upang matiyak na ang bawat payment sa inyo ay sigurado at protektado,” Ramirez added.
In his message, DTI Oriental Mindoro Provincial Director Arnel Hutalla said that the forum aims to equip small business owners with the skills needed to navigate the growing trend of e-commerce and digital finance.
“Ito pong layunin ng programang ito ng BSP ay upang bigyan ng mga kaalaman ang mga negosyante na kailangan at kakailanganin nila sa patuloy na paglago ng e-commerce at digital finance sa bansa,” Hutalla said.
Meanwhile, Virginia Camo Dela Cruz, a business owner from Victoria town, thanked the agencies in the event.
“Maraming salamat unang-una kay DTI kasi kami ay naimbitahan dito para ituro yung mga hindi pa namin alam at lalung-lalo na sa BSP na talagang napakalinaw nang pagpapaliwanag and yung mga question ay nasasagot nila ng diretso,” she said.
The BSP Southern Luzon said that it will continue to roll out similar public information campaigns across the region to help small business owners and entrepreneurs better navigate the evolving financial landscape. (ALG/PIA MIMAROPA-Oriental Mindoro)
