E-commerce in the Philippines

[Steph Crisostomo]

Good morning Ms. Janette Toral,

 

Thank you for allowing me to post some of my questions here. My paper focuses mainly on business-to-consumer e-commerce in the Philippines. I think most of the data available about e-commerce in the Philippines are not up-to-date, specially book sources. This is the reason why I would like to consult a knowledgeable and experienced person such as you. In order to get a more recent position of our country’s e-commerce, I’d like to inquire about the following:

 

With the increase in internet users, improved telecommunications system and awareness, how has e-commerce in the Philippines developed over time? Are there observable trends?

 

Speaking of trends, recently, there has been an exponential increase in entrepreneurs using social networking sites such as Facebook and Multiply as their medium for selling products. Do you think that these dealings attract Filipinos more and will be the prevalent type of B2C transaction in the country?

 

Many say that the Philippines hold so much potential for growth but are the Filipinos ready for e-commerce? Several surveys conducted showed that Filipinos are very conservative customers. They prefer the traditional way of purchasing due to concerns such as security, faulty products and time of delivery.

 

What conditions should the country meet to be at par with other countries that are currently maximizing the possibilities of e-commerce? In contrast, what are the existing issues impeding the development of e-commerce?

 

At the rate of growth that we are exhibiting, and considering the opportunities and impediments being faced by the country, what will e-commerce look like after 5-10 years?

 

Again, thank you very much for your generosity. God bless you.

[Janette Toral]

What are / were your initial findings?