New report highlights how businesses in Visayas and Mindanao are growing their businesses and strengthening their role in the country’s growing digital economy
MSMEs across Visayas and Mindanao are scaling their businesses at an accelerating pace, with average orders per seller rising 51% between 2023 and 2025, according to Shopee's latest report, The State of Digital MSMEs in VisMin: Growing Stronger in the Digital Economy. The findings also show that provincial businesses are increasingly reaching customers nationwide, underscoring how digital commerce continues to expand opportunities beyond the country's major commercial centers.
The report examines how MSMEs across Visayas and Mindanao are strengthening their participation in the digital economy through improved business performance, wider customer reach, and greater adoption of digital capabilities. It analyzes seller and platform trends from 2023 to 2025 to understand how VisMin-based businesses are capturing new opportunities through e-commerce.
These findings suggest that businesses across the region are not only growing sales but also expanding their ability to serve customers across the country.
"Recognizing the opportunities created by digital commerce, more and more MSMEs are finding that entrepreneurial ambitions once constrained by geography are now within reach. As
businesses strengthen their capabilities and pursue opportunities across the country, Visayas and Mindanao are playing an increasingly important role in the country's entrepreneurship and growth story," said Vincent Lee, Head of Shopee Philippines.
VisMin MSMEs are expanding their reach and strengthening business performance
One of the clearest signs of this progress is the growing ability of VisMin businesses to reach buyers wherever they may be, leading to stronger performance by local MSMEs.
In 2025, top VisMin sellers reached buyers in 81 of 82 provinces across the Philippines, while more than one in three orders from VisMin sellers were delivered to Luzon. These findings highlight how digital commerce is helping reduce traditional geographic barriers, enabling provincial businesses to capture new buyers across the country.
This expanding reach is
translating into stronger business performance. Between 2023 and 2025, total
sales generated by VisMin sellers on Shopee grew by 24%, with Visayan sellers
alone, rec
Together, these trends underscore the growing competitiveness of MSMEs across Visayas and Mindanao.
As more MSMEs establish a strong foundation in the domestic market, many are also becoming better positioned to explore growth beyond Philippine shores. Through initiatives such as the Shopee International Platform (SIP), eligible sellers can expand into regional markets, opening new opportunities to bring Filipino products to more customers across Southeast Asia.
Shopee’s ecosystem is helping businesses scale and unlock new opportunities
In addition to capturing new markets, the report also shows that sellers are adopting digital tools to attract and retain new customers, drive sales, and operate more efficiently. Across the region, sellers are increasingly leveraging Shopee's suite of content solutions, creator-led offerings, and AI-powered tools to grow.
Shopee Video emerged as one of the strongest areas of digital adoption, resulting in tangible business benefits. From 2024 to 2025, sales generated through Shopee Video grew by 209%, while the number of sellers creating video content increased 17 times.
Creator-led commerce is also gaining momentum among regional businesses. The number of affiliate-driven connections between sellers and creators increased 29 times, helping more businesses expand their visibility and drive product discovery.
Meanwhile, adoption of Chat AI Assistant grew 75 times, enabling more sellers to respond to customer inquiries quickly and deliver a smoother shopping experience.
Together with Shopee's strong ecosystem and network of logistics partners, these solutions are helping MSMEs overcome traditional barriers. Fulfillment solutions are also gaining traction. The number of MSMEs using Fulfilled by Shopee (FBS) increased 14 times, giving more businesses
access to warehousing, fulfillment, and delivery support as they scale beyond their local markets.
"The progress we are seeing across Visayas and Mindanao reflects how far MSMEs have come in embracing digital commerce, but there remains a significant opportunity for growth," Lee added.
"As more businesses strengthen their digital capabilities and expand their reach, we remain committed to supporting entrepreneurs through continued investments in technology, seller tools, and solutions that help them reach more customers across the Philippines. For businesses ready to take the next step, initiatives like the Shopee International Platform also create opportunities to connect with customers beyond our shores and bring more Filipino products to regional markets."