With reference to the United Nations report on “The Age of Global Interdependence,” AdDU alumnus and Founder/CEO of Collective Plus Business Consultancy Reymond Pepito underscored the opportunities that young entrepreneurs with Atenean values must recognize in his talk on Digital Interdependence yesterday via Google Meet. 

Pepito urged young entrepreneurs to venture digital opportunities by “diagnosing one’s surroundings,” 

“Business will not fly if you do not understand your surroundings. Diagnose your surroundings to understand the laws [so that you can complement these laws for your business idea to influence these policies that would protect consumerism and the business sector [in the future].”

Concluding the first set of webinars of the Kasikas Webinar Series, the Business and Management Cluster conducted the webinar entitled “Moving Forward: The New Age of Digital Interdependence” last July 25.

It can be remembered that the said UN report highlights the “call of greater cooperation” to address the possible challenges to attain benefits within the economy with this digital age.

The five recommendations stated in the report include building an inclusive digital economy and society, developing human and institutional capacity, protecting human rights and human agency, promoting digital trust, security, and stability, and fostering global digital cooperation.

Opportunities in the Digital Age

Pepito first shared that young entrepreneurs must recognize the digital divide within the community, advising them to “bridge the gap” to access digital public goods (e.g., the Internet), especially to the minorities.

“The call is to bridge the gap in terms of the digital divide that we have. The challenge especially sa atin [for those] who have internet connections and sufficient digital technology is to enable cooperation for those who cannot access these technologies available in our areas,” he said.

He then shared the need to uplift the Indigenous Peoples and the rural communities for entrepreneurs to have initiatives by recognizing and promoting their products to the market and providing opportunities in the online platform.

Consequently, the founder also stressed that the community should support local products amidst the growth of business on becoming globally competitive.

“As much as possible, the mindset [of entrepreneurs] must be thinking local forces [and] developing local produce that are growing and globally-competitive,” he said.

Pepito also emphasized exploring and exercising social entrepreneurship, binding with technology to the digital business economy.

“When you create an impact in the society, you diagnose current problems that you can create through the applications and the features using digital technologies,” he advised.

Student Insights

The students from the Business and Management cluster shared their insights on digital interdependence and its relevance to the growing business sector to the society,

Daniel Rempohito, the Kasikas’ Junior Head, recognized that inclusivity and collaboration help create opportunities for the marginalized groups to participate in the market.

Rempohito said: “As we transition to the ‘new normal,’ tasks that are previously only applicable through physical means can now be implemented digitally. Moreover, learning can still continue despite the conundrum with the pandemic.”

“However, not everyone is digitally independent and certain groups are still lagging behind. As such we aim to have inclusivity in the future, where marginalized groups can participate with the changes,” he continued.

The Junior Head concluded: “We must put an emphasis on collaborative assistance and help so that no one is left behind.”

Additionally, B&M SEC President Hanna Marie Yarso also recognized that people must act, help, and cooperate with the marginalized groups by digital interdependence.

“It is a harsh reality that this digital technology and its benefits caters the most privileged ones,” Yarso said.

She continued: “But as one community, those people who are lucky enough to have access to it must share it with people who do not have access. Because in interdependence, we must bridge the gap that we have by providing visions and doing it through effective and efficient actions.”