PDRF, UNDP, OCHA launch info hub to help MSMEs bounce forward to "next normal"

MANILA, 22 May 2020 -- With the support of the Connecting Business Initiative (CBi), the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), will launch the SIKAP Platform today. SIKAP— or Synergizing Recovery Initiatives, Knowledge, and Adaptation Practices for MSMEs—is a unified online business recovery hub that will help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) bounce forward to the “next normal.”

MSMEs have directly felt the economic impacts of the community quarantine enforced by the Philippine Government to address the health crisis. MSMEs—which form 99.6% of registered establishments in the country and generate 62.6% of the country’s total employment—is one of the country’s most vulnerable sectors. Aside from being at risk to natural and human-induced hazards, they now face the unintended consequences of COVID-19 measures. Enterprise owners face the challenges of maintaining their financial resources, sustaining their workforce, and managing the production of goods and delivery of services.

SIKAP aims to provide a long-term, sustainable solution to the information gap on how MSMEs can navigate through uncertainties and also to help them face current and future challenges through strength and resilience.

SIKAP is an all-in-one source of practical and useful business tips, available loan programs from government agencies and private sector organizations, and mentorship opportunities for MSMEs. SIKAP was developed by PDRF with the support of the Connecting Business Initiative and in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

SIKAP website