Bicol Summit calls to pass SE law, for climate action

Leaders and participants at the recently concluded Bicol Regional Social Enterprises Summit (RSES) 2024 held at the Vista Mall Naga last November 28-29 called for the passage of a long-pending Senate Bill No. 782 titled, POVERTY REDUCTION THROUGH SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP (PRESENT) ACT and, the establishment of a Social Enterprises Academy to endure continuing education, training and support for social enterprises with the poor as the primary stakeholders integrating substantive and strategic climate change adaptation to reduce disaster risks. Previous attempts to pass an SE law, filed by Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri, Sonny Angara, Grace Poe, Bam Aquino, and others, failed.

Keynote Speaker Senator Loren Legarda, known environmentalist and UNDRR champion for resilience and sustainable development, co-authored the Bill before the Senate on November 27, the day before the Summit. In her video message, she congratulated the conveners and lauded the initiatives for social entrepreneurship for their long-lasting impact on improving the lives of Filipinos. She noted it is time to pass the SE law with disaster mitigation and resilience as essential features.

With the theme, “Sustainable Social Enterprises: Poverty Reduction, Disaster Mitigation and Inclusivity towards Economic Resilience,” the two-day Summit gathered more than 500 multi-stakeholders on opening day, led by the conveners led by the presidents of five higher educational institutions, namely Dr. Marilisa Ampuan of the Mariners Polytechnic Colleges Foundation in Canaman (MPCF) and its Social Enterprises Development (SED) Research Project funded by the Commission on Higher Education Central Office led by Dr. Cely Binoya, Dr. Albert Naperi of the Central Bicol State University in Agriculture (CBSUA), Dr. Alex Navarroxa of the Bicol State College of Arts and Technology (BISCAST), Dr. Benjie Nebres of the Bicol University and Mario Villanueva of the Naga College Foundation (NCF) with Evita Jimenez-Tuazon of the Tabang Bikol Movement (TBM), 2023 Outstanding Non-Profit Volunteer Organization by the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA) and its community based organizations turned SEs.

Special plenary speaker Dr. Lisa Marie Dacanay, founding president of the Institute of Social Entrepreneurship in Asia, pioneered SE research in the Philippines, called for a nationwide education campaign about social enterprises as vehicles for poverty reduction and reiterated the need to enact the SE law. She lauded the critical role of the local SE initiatives in Bicol while highlighting SE best practices and experiences in developing countries and the Philippines. Dr Norby Salonga, founding director of LSEED in Dela Salle, shared the journey of instituting learning platforms on SE in the communities and transforming it into a life-learning profession.

Camarines Sur Vice-Governor Sal Fortuno congratulated the summit conveners on behalf of Governor Luigi Villafuerte, who extended generous technical support and solidarity to the event. The two most prominent business groups are the Camarines Sur Chamber of Commerce with President Kristan Malazarter and the Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce with EVP ARD Jasmin Zantua of the regional NEDA announced that the Regional Development Council, the highest policy-making body in Bicol, already endorsed the passage of the PRESENT biBilln November 2023 through a Council Resolution.

Summit lead convener Evita Jimenez-Tuazon, Board Chair of MPCF and TBM, summed up the need for Bicol, in light of the recent disasters caused by Kristine and Pepito, to promote “sustainability and resilience in all our collective endeavors as entrepreneurs and community leaders,” and asked for support to the 5 ACTION POINTS enunciated by TBM as a form of climate adaptation and concrete action at the local level. Toward the end of the Summit, the Pledge of Commitment was read and affirmed for poverty reduction and disaster mitigation as twin goals for learning in schools and communities toward economic resilience.

Social entrepreneurs, SE scholars, and enthusiasts from Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, and Catanduanes - including from the DSWD SLPs (sustainable livelihood program), and other SEs from DA, DTI, CDA, and other organizations joined the conversations on stage, the booths and workshops facilitated by SED project leaders -Dr Philip Talay, Dr. Hany Hidalgo, Dir Pat Boneo and Dr. Nila Onate, and agreed that climate change is a real threat to development. There is a compelling need to provide more substantial state support to the SEs of people experiencing poverty who are made more vulnerable by their lack of education and access to better resources to promote community cohesion and improve the lives of the more vulnerable in society. #wew/2024