Fragmented supply chains
Producers have limited visibility into raw-material sources and fewer direct paths to wholesale and institutional buyers.
A capstone study of connected commerce for Philippine MSMEs
GawangPinas explores how a web and mobile platform can connect local producers, material suppliers, wholesale buyers, and marketplace oversight.
Why this research matters
The project studies the practical barriers faced by MSMEs in Bacolod City and Western Visayas.
Local producers need more than an online storefront. Finding reliable production inputs, reaching wholesale buyers, and keeping clear transaction records are related problems that often sit in separate systems or informal conversations.
Informal trading channels
Orders handled through scattered messages make specifications, payment terms, and transaction records harder to track.
Digital and regulatory gaps
Business verification, inventory records, and purchase-order workflows can be difficult for smaller enterprises to manage.
The capstone response
GawangPinas brings discovery, sourcing, trade operations, and administrative review into a connected web and mobile ecosystem.
How the ecosystem is organized
Four roles work through connected parts of the same system.
Wholesale buyers
Discover products, compare suppliers, request quotes, and place wholesale orders.
MSME producers
List finished goods, manage inventory, and respond to procurement demand.
Raw-material suppliers
Make production inputs easier for local businesses to find and source.
Administrators
Review business information and support an accountable marketplace.
Research objectives
The project combines system development with an evaluation of how well it serves its intended users.
Official research title: GawangPinas: A Web and Mobile Application for Local Businesses Ecosystem.
1. Build the web application
Develop a supplier directory, producer operations, wholesale purchase-order workflows, and administrative review tools.
2. Extend access to mobile
Develop a Flutter application for marketplace discovery, image-assisted search, and field-oriented access to core workflows.
3. Evaluate the experience
Assess usability, accessibility, and performance through user acceptance testing with Philippine MSMEs and commercial buyers.
Sustainable Development Goal alignment
These goals inform the project’s intended contribution; they are not claims of measured impact.
Decent work and economic growth
More accessible digital trade workflows for local enterprises.
Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Digital connections across sourcing, production, and procurement.
Responsible consumption and production
Greater visibility for locally sourced materials and products.
Partnerships for the goals
A framework for collaboration among businesses, support institutions, and buyers.
Terms used in the study
A quick reference for the people and workflows in the ecosystem.
MSME
Micro, small, and medium enterprise.
Producer
A business offering finished goods or manufacturing services.
Buyer
A business or procurement team sourcing products in wholesale quantities.
Raw-material supplier
A business providing inputs used in production or packaging.
Purchase order
A buyer’s document specifying items, quantities, and agreed order terms.
Image-assisted search
A product-discovery feature that uses an image as a search input.
Explore the platform behind the research
See the workspaces and workflows that make up GawangPinas.