MANILA, Philippines — Business group Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) has partnered with fiber broadband and technology solutions provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) grow through technology and digitalization.

In a statement, the PCCI said it is working with Converge and the DTI to help MSMEs take advantage of digitalization, which has powered the growth of other Southeast Asian economies like Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia.

“Given their immense contribution to the economy, including local employment, small and micro businesses need to be at the forefront of digitalization,” PCCI president Enunina Mangio said.

Data from the DTI and the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that there are 1.25 million business enterprises operating in the country as of end 2023. Of the total, 99.63 percent are MSMEs.

Under the partnership, Converge will be mounting a 24-hour hackathon called Byte Forward that will run alongside PCCI’s regional business conferences in North Luzon, Visayas, National Capital Region, Mindanao and South Luzon.

Converge CEO Dennis Anthony Uy, who was also elected as the PCCI’s chairman for the Philippine Business Conference and Expo for 2025, said the goal is to utilize technology in helping address challenges faced by businesses.

“We want to maximize the use of technology in every area where business owners stand to benefit. In the hackathon, we will not just concentrate on solving real-life problems of business owners but crucially, we will tap students that have the technological know-how to solve these problems and put them in the same room,” Uy said.

During the upcoming events, PCCI’s local chambers of commerce and Converge will be coming up with solutions to address the problem statements from actual pain points experienced in the course of business.

A total of 10 teams of third and fourth year college students from the covered areas will also be put to the test to come up with the best solution.

The winning team of each leg of the hackathon will take home P50,000 and be part of the culminating hackathon that will take place at the PCCI’s 51st Philippine Business Conference and Expo in October at the SMX Convention Center in Manila.

“The hackathon is certainly a welcome move for MSMEs particularly as it will come up with viable and practical technology solutions that meet their needs and can help them move up the value chain,” Mangio said.