|
How can the Philippines participate
in the e-commerce boom?
Filipinos are already participating in
e-commerce as sellers and buyers.
In 1997, 6% of Filipinos with Internet
access bought $1.6 million worth of goods and services from the
Internet.
The figure is expected to rise $383.66
million by the year 2002 when 30% of online Filipinos do their
shopping from the Net.
A number of Philippine enterprises, big and
small, have taken the leap into cyberspace. However these firms are
saddled with a number of disadvantages that their competitors in more
developed economies do not face.
The relatively underdeveloped information
infrastructure is a major impediment that Filipino e-entrepreneurs
face. While our telephone density increased from 2 telephones per 100
Filipinos in 1995 to about 9 telephones per 100 Filipinos in 1998, on
the regional level, we still lag behind our neighbors. Our computing
infrastructure picture is just as bleak. Computer density is
estimated at less than 1% of the population. Worse, an even smaller
percentage of those computers are netw orked.
What is the
role of the government in developing e-commerce?
Government has an important role to play in
spurring Philippine e-commerce growth.
There is an emerging consensus among
e-commerce practitioners and promoters that government have four
specific roles in developing e-commerce. These are:
-
Provide Favorable Policy Environment
-
Promote Trust & Confidence Among E-Com
Participants;
-
Develop Domestic Framework Compatible With
International Norms;
-
Become A Leading-Edge User To Jump Start
E-Com and Encourage Its Mass Use.
Having said these, it is also important to
note that there is general agreement among those who study electronic
commerce that the private sector should lead in developing, adopting,
and utilizing this new form of doing business.
What is the existing practice in the use of
electronic
forms and documents?
Persons in business who need to use
electronic forms and documents adopt the “paper to follow” now. What
happens is that while they transmit their orders, purchases, or sales
electronically, they demand that the paper-based document of that
particular transaction be sent to them as well at the earliest
possible time. There are some who, after sending or accepting an
order in electronic form, delay processing the transaction until they
are able to see the paper document. At a time when speed in
transacting business is of utmost importance, this practice, based on
businessmen’s fears of a lack of legal protection, results in even
more delay. It thus puts us at a great disadvantage.
Examples of
Philippine sites
Yehey!
Currently the no. 1 web portal in the Philippines.
Bonuan Bangus
A site selling Bangus
 |
