The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) have launched the “Digital Transformation Development Program for MSMEs”, a capacity-building program that seeks to assist selected micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in coping with technology-related disruptions.

The program will run from September 5 to October 17, 2025 in four (4) batches of fifty (50) management and employee representatives from 100 MSMEs. All 200 participants shall be immersed to different types of digital management technologies and tools in financial technology, accounting and inventory, human capital, digital marketing customer service, data privacy and cybersecurity and sessions on proposal writing and project management.

“You were chosen to be part of this program because of your demonstrated commitment to productivity growth and your consistent efforts to make progress and innovation possible”, said NWPC Executive Director Maria Criselda R. Sy during her welcome remarks for the 1st batch of trainees.

She encouraged the participants to take advantage of the capacity building program as it provides simple and practical tools and strategies that they can utilize in improving their organizations and in turning lessons into actions.

Various experts from AIM led by Mr. Alberto Mateo Jr., Head of AIM School of Executive Education and Lifelong Learning, served as facilitators and resource persons.

DOLE Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma, in his message delivered by NWPC Technical Service Director Jerome P. Yanson, congratulated the first batch of trainees who completed the training.

“From redesigning your business models, exploring financial technology and human resource systems, to digital marketing, customer service, and even protecting your businesses through data privacy and cybersecurity, you now carry with you a set of practical skills that can make a real difference. Every step toward digitalization that we take does not happen because technology dictates it. It happens because human judgement and foresight make it so. Human-driven and human-centered technological adaptation and transformation, therefore, remains the key toward building a more resilient and competitive future,” the message says.

The development training program is expected to help MSMEs transition to digital business processes, build workers’ capacity to adopt new technologies, and provide the skills necessary for them to successfully manage and operate their enterprises. Select program managers and implementers have also been trained to gain perspectives and insights on how to better manage and implement the program.

This activity was organized by DOLE and AIM in collaboration with the NWPC and Bureau of Local Employment. It was initiated under the DOLE-Adjustment Measures Program (AMP) which supports projects to be implemented by MSMEs to reduce or mitigate the vulnerability of workers and enterprises from economic disruptions, and to enhance capacity for job preservation and generation, improve human resource and enterprise viability and resilience, raise levels of productivity and competitiveness, and actively contribute to the promotion of decent and sustainable work opportunities.