Packworks, a Filipino startup, has partnered with international non-profit Help.NGO will launch SariLink, a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) connectivity initiative in the Philippines. The partnership aims to close the digital divide and boost local entrepreneurship by installing LEO communication terminals in select micro-retail stores in Catanduanes. This strategic move empowers small entrepreneurs in remote areas to be digitally connected using innovative Packworks platform solutions.

The SariLink program aims to address the digital gap that MSMEs face due to unreliable internet access. Despite recent advancements, the Philippines still lags behind Southeast Asian countries in internet connectivity, with affordability, speed, and access issues contributing to a disparate digital landscape. The Philippine Statistics Authority also reported lower internet access and speed in rural areas.

With the newly installed LEO connection through Starlink, which can achieve speeds up to 220 Mbps download and 80 Mbps upload, stores in Catanduanes now have access to tools to digitize their operations, including pricing tools, inventory management, and sales and revenue tracking. They can also process digital payments and access vital inventory financing services to help them grow their businesses. 

The SariLink program utilizes Amazon Web Services data analytics to monitor sales growth for beneficiaries. Cynthia Icaonapo, a beneficiary sari-sari store owner, reports the LEO connection through Starlink, a partnership between Packworks and Help.NGO has significantly improved her business management.

“Noon, manu-mano naming sinusulat ang bawat pinamimili ng mga customer at mobile data lang ang gamit namin na mabagal sa aming lugar. Kaya laking pasasalamat namin at nakabitan kami ng Starlink Internet dahil mas pinadali na nito ang bawat transaksyon namin sa araw-araw,” said Icaonapo.

(“Before, we manually wrote down each customer’s purchases, and we only used mobile data, which was slow in our area. So, we are very grateful to have been connected to Starlink Internet because it has greatly simplified our daily transactions.”)

In February 2024, Nisos Variety Store in Icaonapo experienced a 53% increase in transactions after installing the LEO Internet terminal, aligning with Help.NGO’s Technology Advocacy and Resilience Programme and AWS’s strategic technology use to enhance global community readiness.

“Bridging the digital divide, especially in isolated communities, can bring outsized impact on resiliency by giving people the ability to communicate and connect to the internet, they are able to build their own resilience. We are excited to work with local partners, including Packworks, to push resilience through connectivity,” said Matthew Cua, Innovation Director of Help.NGO.

Packworks Co-founder and Chief Platform Officer Hubert Yap enthusiastically stated, “We are thrilled to partner with Help.NGO, a collaboration that advances our vision of bringing digitization to the forefront of Philippine economic development. This partnership is about providing technology and crafting a future where every small business owner has the tools to succeed in the digital age. Through this strategic collaboration, we are excited about the potential to expand this initiative, ensuring that the benefits of digital connectivity reach every corner of the Philippines and setting a precedent for grassroots-level economic resilience and sustainability.”

Packworks and Help.NGO share a commitment to advocating for financial and digital literacy at the grassroots level aimed at building more resilient and strong communities. Packworks, founded by Yap and co-founders Bing Tan and Ibba Bernardo, emerged from their drive to improve goods accessibility for remote sari-sari stores during their passion project of delivering solar panels to provinces and far-flung places.

On the other hand, Help.NGO, registered in the European Union (EU) with operations globally, specializes in emergency response, preparedness, risk mitigation, and prevention. The organization employs cutting-edge technological solutions and its extensive expertise to strengthen national and international disaster response capabilities, ensuring communities can better withstand and recover from emergencies.

The SariLink program will be in its one-year pilot run and calls for partners and funders to help push it further to expand to other rural areas in the country.