The years during the Covid- 19 pandemic were trying times for our MSMEs. Sales and income dropped sharply and businesses closed. Consequently, walk-in client traffic of those who registered their businesses likewise decreased. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, there was a 32% decrease in investments recorded from walk-in clients compared with the pre-pandemic year of 2019. Decreasing trends were observed since then, although, investments were still within the P1 Billion range .  Another factor to the declining figures was the super typhoon Odette that hit the province hard in December 2021.  

However, the pandemic had induced the Filipinos’ interest in digital technology. Socially distanced engagements had spurred the introduction and use of digital tools even among MSMEs. With the lockdowns, more entrepreneurs conducted business via the internet. Hence, on the flip side, these had opened opportunities as well.  Even online government services that once showed low adoption rate had become the new normal. This was the case of the national business registry.   The enhanced Business Name Registration System (BNRS) of the DTI enabled end-to-end registration system. There has been a growing adoption to digital transactions. Unfortunately, the latest update of the online system now officially reports on the number of registered establishments only.