It is about a year already since the Covid-19 outbreak
began in China. In the Philippines, it has been seven months since different
versions of community quarantine has been put in place to combat the spread of
Covid-19. If you are wondering what has been the effect of this year-long
menace to social enterprises and their beneficiaries, we have gathered some relevant
articles all over the world that you can read. The write-ups will show you that
while social enterprises are also gravely affected because they serve the most
vulnerable sectors, they also can be a model and important partner in recovering
from crisis because social entrepreneurs are knowledgeable and adept in solving
social problems for years.
Excerpts: Here we provide some key issues for social enterprise to
consider, some tips to work closely with your customers and some useful
information and financial assistance available from Governments that we will
endeavour to keep updated via the Social Traders website.
2.Impact-first: Social Enterprises in the Philippines Innovate to Respond to Coronavirus Pandemic
Excerpt: Social enterprises are part of the MSME sector which makes
them not an exemption to the negative effects of COVID-19. Despite this crisis,
social enterprises continue to innovate to respond to the health emergency
whether by developing new products and services, providing alternative means of
delivery, or hacking
the current systems in place. Here is a list of social enterprises in the
Philippines who are not only sustaining their operations but also spearheading
support to help mitigate the effects of the pandemic.
Uproot - a social enterprise in the Philippines delivering farm produce during Covid-19
3.Social
enterprises also hit by COVID-19 pandemic
Excerpt: “Social enterprises in the
country are also suffering from the slowdown in business caused by the ongoing
health crisis. Sixto Donato Macasaet, executive director of the Foundation for
a Sustainable Society, Inc., told CNN Philippines’ Newsroom Ngayon Friday that
more than half of its partners all over the country either had to fully or partially
stop operations due low revenues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
4. Why
social entrepreneurs are critical to our response to and recovery from the
COVID-19 crisis
Excerpt: "Social
entrepreneurs are battling at the forefront of this pandemic to serve the most
vulnerable populations using their ingenuity to confront the problems on the
ground.”
Do you have any information about social
enterprises and how they are coping in Covid-19? Let us know in the comments
below.
Have you ever dreamed of doing volunteer works but don’t
know where to go or what to do? I suggest you visit iVolunteer.com.ph.
The iVolunteer Philippines website is made by volunteers. It is a portal containing information about various institutions in the Philippines that need
volunteers –
in other words, organizations that need you!
Once in the website, all you have to do is to browse among
various volunteering opportunities posted in the site, click on the
advocacy and activity you like, and register. That's it! You can volunteer by
yourself or in groups. The important thing is you should come once you register.
Here are some of the things you will like about iVolunteer Philippines:
Updated list. Every week iVolunteer
updates their page with new requests and schedules for volunteers for different
institutions. Available slots remaining are also updated real-time so you know
if help is still needed or you should go wait for another time.
The orgs in the portal are legit.
You can join for as many times as
you like. At the same time you are not obliged to join all the time unless you
pledge directly with your chosen institution.
No money is necessarily involved
except for your own transportation and or food expenses and when extra funds are
requested like sponsoring a child to an educational field trip, etc.
They recently held a Volunteer Expo!
I went to this event held in Glorietta, Makati and saw the volunteers were serious
with their work but they were all having fun!
What are you waiting for? Start your volunteering journey now
that it is Araw ng Kagitingan! With them, you will have more options and worthwhile activities every weekend. :)
I would not miss having a photo with Jenny, one of the officers of iVolunteer Philippines. I met her two years ago at the Dream Expo MNL.
If I need to explain what social enterprise is to anybody, well, maybe specifically to a fellow Filipino, I would just cite Human Nature and he/she will surely understand what a social enterprise is. I am still currently writing a feature on social entrepreneurship which I hope to serve as an introduction on the field for readers. So for now, let me just share with you this interview I conducted in 2010 for my Master of Development Communication class in UPOU. I am certain you will have a good grasp of what a social enterprise is after seeing the video or reading the transcript below.
1. Interviewer: What is a social
enterprise?
Ang social enterprise ay isang venture
na hindi lang profit ang tinitignan. It is a business venture but at
the same time may tinatawag tayo na social advocacy or social
dimension.
2. Interviewer: What is Human
Nature?
It started November 28, 2008. Ang
nagtayo ng Gandang Kalikasan which is the manufacturer/supplier of
Human Nature Products is yung dalawang anak ni Tony Meloto. Si Anna
at saka si Camille together with the husband of Anna, si Dylan Wilk.
So silang tatlo yung nag-start. They contacted their friends if they
will be able to formulate the products.
Human Nature, A Social Enterprise from Human Heart Nature website: www.humanheartnature.com
3. Interviewer: What are the
products of Human Nature?
Ang products ng Human Nature from
babies to senior citizens. So it’s not really a beauty product per
se kaya nga personal care na tinatawag.
Human Nature Products
4. Interviewer: What makes Human
Nature a social enterprise?
Di ba ang Human
Nature ay pro-Philippines, pro-poor, pro-environment? So that’s the
philosophy behind it. Lahat ng ginagawa, whether it’s the product
or the process, kinuha sya dun sa philosophy na yun.
Human Nature: Mission, Vision, and Values
Interviewer: Yun ba ang hinahanap ng
mga tao ngayon?
For the consumer, I think it’s a plus
factor that it’s Philippine made. Kasi the brands like Avon,
NUskin, Revlon, etc., lahat iyon abroad. These are imported brands.
Na meron lang Philippine arm, which markets these products. Pero yung
pinagmumulan ng formulation, yung pinagmumulan ng packaging,
everything, abroad yun. Dito, Pilipino talaga yung gumagawa.
5. Interviewer: What is the impact
of Human Nature to society?
May tatlong catch
words yun eh. Doing good, doing well, and doing right.
Interviewer:
Ano-ano po yung ibig sabihin ng mga ito?
Okay, yung doing
good, kasi meron agad ito immediate impact sa society. Di ba. Parang
kapag sumali ka dito o kaya naging parte ka ng Human Nature, meron
kang direct impact on society in two ways: one is you promote
Philippine made products which already gives employment or livelihood
to the farmers, unlike before na kapag puro palay ang tinatanim ng
mga farmers tapos six months silang naghihintay, nababaon sila sa
utang pero pag ngayon, im talking of farmers who are GK residents and
also farmerswho are members of local farming cooperatives in the
provinces, so we are talking here of not individuals, we are talking
of families. Kasi for example, sa Bacolod lang, yung nagtatanim ng
Tanglad, yung lemon grass, 42 families yun.
Interviewer: Dati
ang tinatanim nila is palay?
Palay, sugarcane so
kumbaga, sa ngayon, (they plant) high valued crops. We call it high
valued crops, yung mga sunflower, aloe vera, citronella, tapos
mabilis ang harvest. Hindi sila maghihintay ng anim na buwan para
nila anihin yung tinatanim nila. So you’re giving them an
alternative rather than sticking to one produce which is rice, you
are gving them an alternative so nag-co-crop rotation sila. So at the
same time, ang important, hindi na sila nababaon sa utang, kasi meron
na silang regular na kinikita. Tapos meron na silang pambili ng
ipupunla para sa susunod . So regular yun.
6. Interviewer: Human Nature and
Gawad Kalinga
Ang Gandang
Kalikasan is a partner or a sister/affiliated enterprise ng Gawad
kalinga. Kasi may tie-up din ang Gawad kalinga with NGOs in the
provinces. One example is the Philippine Federation for the
Environmental Concerns. And then yung tinatawag na Alternative
Indigenous Development Foundation. Ito yung mga NGOs na nagpoprovide
ng hydropower tsaka solar energy sa mga farms tapos naka-tieup din sa
mga regular coops ng farmers. Tinutulungan sila magkaroon ng
equipment before, yung initial equipment before dalhin sa planta yung
raw materials. At saka what’s important is they are given fair
trade prices for their produce so hindi sila binabarat. Hindi sila
nalulugi, in fact kumikita sila kasi maganda talaga yung produkto,
it’s at the market rate.
Human Nature Social Enterprise Gifts from Partner Social Enterprises
Interview: Plus may
training pa kayong binibigay.
May training for
organic farming. Kaya sabay-sabay yon. Yun nga yung mga Gawad kalinga
residents na pumunta na rin into organic farming, hindi nagtapos ang
pagtulong kapag natayo na ang bahay nila. Kasi maraming mga tao lalo
na if they come from depressed areas tapos irerelocate nila into a
site na may bahay or magtatayo ng bahay, they always say paano yung
kabuhayan nila. Di naming maiiwan basta-basta. But if you are giving
them an alternative means of livelihood wherein the whole family can
participate, kasi ang pagtatanim pati bata (pwede). It is also a good
way of family bonding.
7. Interviewer: Human Nature and GK
Villages
Tapos ang isa pang
paraan kasi merong immersion program of the Human Nature dealers with
the GK villages. So we do it once a month. We started last January
dito sa Quezon City branch nung January 24 and then on February 27,
we will have the second batch of dealers who will be joining. Hindi
lang limited to dealers ito kasi the dealers can bring two other
people who are not dealers. Kaya nga meron isang dealer dala niya
buong family niya eh. Mga anak niya kasama. Family activity. As in
elementary yung mga anak.
On February 16, we
are going to have a similar interaction program with entrepreneurial
students of UST, graduating batch. Sila yung nag-request if we can
have an orientation with them. Then isasama din naming sila dun sa
one of the GK Villages to encounter similar experiences as the Human
Nature dealers.
Tapos yung iba, ang
naging offshoot non natuwa sila, nainspire sila dun sa initial
interaction, merong isang dealer na preschool teacher pala siya. Sabi
niya gusto ko na ito maging regular basis for me. I will do once a
week to that GK village kasi may preschool doon na mga bata, yung
Sibol. So parang nag-vovolunteer teacher siya. Kasi dinodocument din
eh. So yung mga leaders, they will see the pictures of the actual
pagwowork nila dun. Tapos yung lunch is niluto ng mga nakatira sa GK
residences. So sila yung nagpoprovide ng lunch tsaka yung merienda
para sa mga participants.
8. Interviewer: Why Human “Heart”
Nature?
Kasi ang tao, mahal
niya ang kalikasan. Instead na Human loves Nature, Human heart
nature.
Who is this girl? We will know TOMORROW! Stay tuned for the announcement
of a new fan page where you will meet her and where you can check out
cool products that will inspire you and help you with your career!!! :-)
Sooner or later, young entrepreneurs especially those who create their own products, whether these are food or non-food, will find themselves joining fairs and bazaars. It is thus very advisable to visit and get a feel of events like these before actually joining as a seller in one. You can check out the busy hours, how sellers react to multiple buyers buying at the same time, the packaging of products similar to yours, the sales and marketing pitch of fellow sellers, the buying behaviors of customers, etc. Honestly, no matter how many online materials about fairs and selling you have read, nothing beats going to a trade fair and seeing how bazaar works personally. So whether you are ready to join or not, make it a habit to visit these trade fairs. And Christmas season is the best time to do just that. One upcoming event is the 10a Alabama Handmade Arts and Crafts Fair.
This will happen on 12 noon of November 10 to 7PM of November 11, 2012.
Here is the map for your guidance and you can click on this link https://www.facebook.com/10aAlabama for further details. Remember though that you will go there not to copy ideas but just to observe how joining bazaar works and of course to get motivated to become more creative with your own products.And because it is also an ideal time for Christmas shopping, why not buy and support our fellow crafters, too. I got this very inspiring photo from facebook of Travel Finds Shop about buying from small local entrepreneurs:
And oh, by the way. Don't forget to like our facebook page Elle Goes Into Business at Facebook . I will announce there several discount schemes for the opening of my business on November 15. Thank you very much! :-)
