23/05/2026
An Open Letter to DTI
From the MSMEs of the Philippines 🇵🇭
Mabuhay po ang MSMEs ng Pilipinas.
According to Philippine business statistics, MSMEs make up around 99.5% of all registered businesses in our country. We provide approximately 63% to 65% of total employment nationwide and contribute around 35% to 40% of our country’s GDP.
Most Filipinos working today are employed because of MSMEs.
We are not just business owners.
We are job creators.
We are risk takers.
We are silent fighters helping Filipino families survive every single day.
Behind every small business is a story of sacrifice.
Lumalaban kami araw-araw.
Minsan walang tulog.
We risk our own savings, our last money, and sometimes even our peace of mind just to keep our businesses alive.
Many MSMEs quietly carry anxiety while trying to support employees, provide for families, and continue serving customers despite inflation, rising costs, rentals, permits, salaries, utilities, and economic uncertainty.
Even when there is too much noise around us, tuloy pa rin kami magtrabaho.
Social media became one of the few affordable tools that gave hope to MSMEs. It allowed small entrepreneurs to promote products and services without spending huge amounts on traditional advertising.
For many of us, online posting is not luxury marketing.
It is survival.
That is why we humbly appeal regarding proposals requiring permits and fees for online advertisements and promotions.
For large corporations, this may simply be another business process.
But for MSMEs, every peso matters. Every delay matters. Every additional requirement becomes another burden carried by already struggling entrepreneurs.
Sometimes we are not even running major campaigns.
We are simply trying to sell products, move inventory, attract customers, and survive another month.
We respectfully ask:
Please feel our hearts.
Feel our effort.
Feel our hardships.
We are not asking for special treatment.
We are only asking for understanding, compassion, and policies that will continue helping MSMEs grow instead of making survival harder.
When MSMEs survive, Filipino families survive.
When MSMEs grow, employment grows.
When MSMEs succeed, the Philippine economy moves forward.
Mabuhay po ang MSMEs ng Pilipinas. 🙏🇵🇭
