Google to train Filipino MSMEs on online presence, 100K kids on digital tech use

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Global tech giant Google has committed to assist Filipino micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in building an online presence, and to train over 100,000 children and their parents on the responsible use of digital technology.

In a meeting with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Google global vice president Karan Bhatia said the company will continue to aid MSMEs and upskill them in the digital landscape, in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

“This is to enable small businesses get a presence online and figure out how do they connect with the rest of the world,” Bhatia told the president.

The company earlier released Google Career Certificates (GCC) in the DTI’s virtual campuses, covering 1,300 Negosyo Centers in 16 regions across the Philippines.

It also provided some 40,000 GCC scholarships to Filipino youth, jobseekers, MSME entrepreneurs, and civil servants on skills such as project management, cybersecurity, IT support, data analytics, UX design, and digital marketing.

In the same meeting, Bhatia said Google will be implementing a program that seeks to provide training for over 100,000 Filipino children and their parents involving the safe and responsible use of digital technology.

“Because kids are often online for a long period of time, and we need to make sure that they know how to use the technology. So we thus far engage in training for 100,000 Filipino kids and are going to continue to grow that as well,” he said.

Bhatia also noted that the company is set to expand its business operations in the Philippines, with some 50,000 employees in the country after starting in 2013.

The meeting follows the heels of the Trilateral Leaders Summit on Thursday among Marcos, US President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.—LDF, GMA Integrated News