The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), in partnership with the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), recently concluded 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 ran from September 5 to October 17, 2025, with four (4) batches of fifty (50) management and employee representatives from 100 MSMEs. A total of 200 participants were immersed to various 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.

DOLE Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma in his message congratulated all the participants 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,” said DOLE Secretary Laguesma.

The DOLE ensured that the program’s benefits included all levels of enterprise, as explained by DOLE Undersecretary Benedicto Ernesto R. Bitonio Jr., who also sits as NWPC Chairperson Designate.

“We have made sure that workers are included as participants for this program. We all know that owners and managers guide the direction of the business and decide on adopting new business models and productivity tools. But we also recognize the contributions of the workers to the success of any business operation. Hence, they need to be active partners in providing adjustment measures for business growth and productivity,” said Undersecretary Bitonio during the final batch of the program.

Meanwhile, NWPC Executive Director Maria Criselda R. Sy encouraged participants to implement the practical skills gained from the capacity-building program.

“This capacity building program provides simple and practical tools and strategies that you can utilize in improving your organizations. This program will only be as valuable as the effort you put into it,” said NWPC Executive Director Sy.

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.

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, through the National Wages and Productivity Commission and Bureau of Local Employment, in partnership with AIM, under the DOLE-Adjustment Measures Program (AMP) – a program granting support to MSMEs through projects that reduce or mitigate the vulnerability of workers and enterprises from economic disruptions, 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.