Transactions made by the formal business sector in the Cordillera using e-commerce or online platforms have decreased one year after the Covid-19 pandemic, where most businesses and affairs had to be done online due to mobility restrictions.
Philippine Statistics Authority Cordillera Statistical Operations and Coordination Division senior statistical specialist Betina Joyce Bermillo reported the sales by establishments engaged in e-commerce transactions in the region had a total of P56.6 million, which indicates a “very significant decrease” of 84.6 percent compared to 2020, which posted P367.3M sales.
The trend of online sales from e-commerce transactions was that pre pandemic, total sales was P146.3M in 2019, which boomed in 2020 because of mobility and logistical restrictions that led most businesses, including the formal sector, to use online platforms. But the figures dramatically dipped in 2021 to P56.6M.
Bermillo said those that were engaged in e-commerce are those in the industry and services, particularly establishments in the services sector which posted total sales of P56.4M and industry with P240,000.
Establishments engaged in transportation and storage posted sales of P41.1M or 72.5 percent of total sales; administrative and support services with P12.5M or 22.1 percent; and wholesale and retail with P5M.
Most establishments which used online platforms were medium enterprises with P38.M earnings; small with P17.6M; and micro with P758,000 sales.
Large enterprises did not engage in ecommerce transactions, which was also its trend in the previous years.
PSA-Cordillera Industry Statistics Division Supervising Statistical Specialist Joyce Egsan said the sector which has the biggest decline in sales via ecommerce transactions is the wholesale and retail trade.
The statistics is part of the results of the 2021 Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry of the region which PSA-Cordillera disseminated on Dec. 18.
ASPBI is a continuing activity of the PSA and one of the designated statistical activities of the government that aims to provide information on the economic activities of the formal sector in the entire country for a specified period.
Egsan emphasized the samples used in the survey were from the formal sector of the economy and did not include house-based users which are part of the non-formal sector. – Hanna C. Lacsamana
