Women-led social enterprises and social enterprises supporting women and marginalized communities take on the spotlight of this year’s Social Enterprise Trade Fair and Exhibit happening on March 11-14, 2024 at the 4th Floor Hallway of the Senate Building in Pasay City, Metro Manila.
A Social Enterprise Trade Fair and Exhibit is organized to amplify the Poverty Reduction through Social Entrepreneurship (PRESENT) Coalition’s advocacy for the PRESENT Bill among policymakers in the 19th Congress. Bannering with International Women’s Month, the Trade Fair aims to raise awareness and solidify support among policymakers towards the enactment of the PRESENT Bill as well as showcase products and impact stories of SEs led and supported by women.
Together with the Coalition, the activity is co-organized by the Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia (ISEA) and Roo ts Collective, in partnership with the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality; the Senate Gender and Development Focal Point System; the Office of Senator Risa Hontiveros; Sasakawa Peace Foundation; Australian Embassy in the Philippines and Oxfam Pilipinas.
To kick off the start of the four-day Trade Fair, Senator Risa Hontiveros hosted the opening program and ribbon untying ceremony. The Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Hon. Hae Kyong Yu was also present during the event where she delivered a message of support.
Also present during the program are Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Ma. Christina Roque, Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) Deputy Executive Director Maria Kristine Josefina Balmes, ISEA President and PRESENT Coalition Convenor, Dr Marie Lisa Dacanay.
Featured social enterprises including Gandang Kalikasan/Human Nature, Coffee for Peace, and Roots Collective delivered their messages.
In a speech delivered during the event, Oxfam Pilipinas Executive Director Erika Geronimo emphasized the contribution of social enterprises in the country’s economic growth.
“If we wish to prevent poor households from becoming poorer should the country face another external shock, we must sustainably support their access to capital, employment, empowerment and well-being,” Geronimo said.
In a 2017 report led by the British Council, there are an estimated 164,473 social enterprises. In 2016 alone, they contributed $21 million or Php 1.15 billion in value to the country.
The week-long Trade Fair and Exhibit will highlight the impactful work of social enterprises zooming into the critical role of women in their respective industries.
Alongside this, the Trade Fair also aims to promote the PRESENT Bill, an enabling policy environment for social enterprises in the Philippines, which includes gender-specific provisions that recognize the critical role of SEs in empowering marginalized sectors, including women.
Since 2012, the PRESENT Coalition has long been advocating for the enactment of the PRESENT Bill which seeks to institutionalize a comprehensive and enabling policy framework in recognition and support of social enterprises to assist the recovery of the sector and the poor they serve. Through these events, the Coalition seeks to gather more government champions to support the Bill.
