The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated digitalization in every field of the economy and society. Never before have the massive potential and necessity of digital solutions become more evident than when all sectors have had to operate within the limitations of lockdown.

Digital transformation has not come easy. Processes that were conducted in traditional, analog ways now need to adapt to the rapidly-evolving digital framework. Both the business and education sectors have had to adapt and innovate by moving their operations online.

Essential transactions such as selling and marketing goods and services, coordinating with customers and business partners, and communicating with employees are now being done electronically. Online learning is quickly becoming the norm as the education sector has had to adapt to the new normal, exploring innovative ways of training and development while maintaining the quality of information being delivered.

The webinar, “The Digital Shift: Adapting to business and education challenges in the New Normal”, will provide MSMEs and educators with much-needed guidance on making this transition including: conducting online marketing and training, analyzing consumer behavior, embracing e-commerce, and securing their data online. The lessons learned from this session will help MSMEs and educators pivot their operations to digital models that will be sustainable beyond the pandemic.

In line with the advocacy to contribute to strengthening the resilience and recovery of different sectors, the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation will conduct the webinar as part of the Asian Preparedness Partnership (APP) through the Philippine Preparedness Partnership (PhilPrep). APP PhilPrep is the localized tripartite platform represented by the key societal actors from the government (Office of Civil Defense), the private sector (PDRF), and the civil society (Center for Disaster Preparedness). APP PhilPrep is supported by the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In order to have a wider reach, the webinar will be also promoted via the SIKAP MSME Recovery Hub and iADAPT platform.

The session will help the participants increase their awareness on how to pivot their business operations to digital transformation to help them adapt and thrive for the new normal. More specifically, it aims to:

1. Enumerate and explain various government initiatives related to support continuity in the new normal;
2. Discuss innovations and opportunities for MSMEs;
3. Discuss innovation and opportunities to support learning continuity; and
4. Identify and explain how the shift to digitalization (e-commerce and e-learning) has helped stakeholders adjust to the new normal.