The empowerment of Filipino micro enterprises utilizing local online marketplace groups

Technology adoption was rapidly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in a shift in various micro-enterprise business operations. This study explores the empowerment experiences of Filipino entrepreneurs who are utilizing local online marketplace systems that are outside mainstream online e-commerce platforms. This research’s goal is to identify enabling participation factors, impact on the digital value chain, and analyze practices that promote inclusive business and MSME development. To achieve the objective of this research, this paper implores theoretical frameworks of diffusion of innovation and monitoring empowerment as means to understand entrepreneur motivations in using the local online marketplace and identify different empowerment experiences. The result of this paper presents a universal agreement towards adopting new technology such as a local online marketplace that highly benefits micro-enterprises. Empowerment varied depending on the technical and entrepreneurial skills, access, and attitude towards digital among others. More than the business implication of this research, this study proposes Philippine government interventions that could be taken to assist business entrepreneurs individually (through financial and technical training) and collectively