Phase II
MSMEs play a key role in promoting socioeconomic development in the Philippines. According to the Department of Trade and Industry Philippines, there were over 1.2 million MSMEs in 2023, comprising approximately 99.6 per cent of all enterprises in the economy. With the increased participation of women in the Philippine economy, MSME entrepreneurship arises as an instrument for women’s economic empowerment and poverty reduction.
While there has been progress to support women and young women MSME entrepreneurs in the Philippines, women — particularly in minority and rural communities — face disproportionate challenges in entrepreneurship, including barriers to digital literacy and technical expertise. To address these challenges, the APEC-Canada Growing Business Partnership (ACGBP) is working with local stakeholders in the Philippines to mitigate policy challenges through gender-responsive solutions. ACGBP will equip policy actors with the necessary tools to remove barriers to the digital transformation for women-led MSMEs, including policy briefs and workshops on best practices.
Phase I
Phase I of the APEC-Canada Growing Business Partnership in the Philippines focused on capacity building by scaling up access to new markets for products and services to make MSME growth more inclusive. Gender-inclusive programming worked to support women and girls in closing the gender gap in micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
This phase began in 2016 and concluded in May 2021.
Philippines Toolkit
The MSME Toolkit delivers practical ideas, addresses key challenges, and introduces relevant best practices on MSME business development to entrepreneurs in APEC developing economies through on-the-ground training with Canadian and local experts.
Publications
Relevant and evidence-driven insights into the challenges and opportunities entrepreneurs experience in the Philippines.
Updates
ACGBP project-related events, current affairs, developments in research in the Philippines.
Partner Organization
