Companies in the Philippines urged to upscale digitalisation

This call was made by Alfredo Pascual, president of Management Association of the Philippines, who said this can advance the country’s economic growth and development.

Pascual, who was appointed recently by President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr as trade secretary, said firms that are dependent on technology and knowledge were very much affected by the lockdowns caused by the pandemic, which led to changes in the way companies in all sectors and regions do business.

As consumers have moved dramatically toward online channels, companies and industries have responded in turn.

Even prior to the pandemic, technology had become an increasingly important part of the workforce across all sectors. Businesses were also looking at technology as a way of engaging customers, allowing some workplace flexibility, and for a way to introduce automation and faster processes.

The pandemic accelerated these adoptions immensely and forced companies to look at creative digital solutions to enable organisations to continue to function remotely and serve their client base, said Pascual.

However, he said that while digital transformation among Philippine companies accelerated because of the pandemic, the education of the workforce has not matched the acceleration of technology. 

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As such, corporations must build a culture that is aligned to the changing environment and improve human resource ways to upgrade their operations, Pascual said, according to The Manila Times.