Poverty Reduction Through Social Entrepreneurship Coalition

04/06/2026

Who says doing good isn’t good for business?🥳

The EmpowerHer Project recently gathered over 70 participants from 20 amazing social enterprises to crack the code on Gender Lens Investing (GLI)! 💜

Spoiler alert: Embedding gender equality and investing in women isn’t just good ethics – it’s smart economics!

Opening on a high note, Oxfam Pilipinas’ Executive Director Ms. Maria Rosario “Lot” Felizco set the tone by framing GLI as a transformative vehicle for social enterprises to improve financial outcomes while advancing women's leadership, workplace inclusion, and the flow of equitable capital.

Bringing this vision to life, our panel of industry leaders took the stage, sharing practical strategies on how they are actively driving this investment transformation.

The session started off with Ms. Abigail Tan of ARQ BDS SME – SheSecure as she shared how they direct structured private credit toward women-led enterprises that embed gender equality as an operational standard – not just an aspiration.

Ms. Ednie Luceño-Casiller highlighted the Foundation for a Sustainable Society, Inc. (FSSI)'s commitment to gender equality as a cross-cutting investment priority, including value chain loans designed specifically for women social enterprise suppliers.

Then, Mr. Toto Camba presented inBEST Ventures’ impact investing model anchored on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), offering short- to long-term capital investments to help women-led SMEs grow their financial, operational, and strategic capabilities.

Bringing the session full circle, Ms. Ivy Panganiban, Interim Gender Justice Portfolio Manager of Oxfam Pilipinas synthesized our key takeaways, reinforcing that GLI is not only about access to capital, but about institutionalizing gender equality as a driver of sustainable, impact-first growth.

Our deep appreciation to our moderator, Dr. Marie Lisa Dacanay, President of the Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia (ISEA) and Convener of the Poverty Reduction for Social Entrepreneurship (PRESENT) Coalition for expertly guiding this powerful and practical discussion.

Huge thanks to all our partners and participants for their continued commitment to gender equality and women's economic empowerment. 🥳

This meaningful exchange was made possible through the collaboration under the EmpowerHer Project of The Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia (ISEA), PRESENT Coalition, Oxfam Pilipinas, and with support from the Australian Government's Investing in Women (IW) initiative.

Together, we continue to reshape how capital flows, make women's contributions visible, and make them count!

04/06/2026

Philippine lawmakers are being urged to enact the Poverty Reduction through Social Entrepreneurship (PRESENT) Act to help ease financial constraints among social enterprises, an advocate said.

“When you are micro or small, you do not have collateral… The problem with financing schemes is that they require collateral for you to borrow money,” Marie Lisa M. Dacanay, founding president of the Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia (ISEA), told BusinessWorld.

“So what we are proposing is non-collateralized loans with a guaranteed fund pooled from the government. That’s actually one of the provisions enshrined in the bill,” she added.

03/06/2026

02/06/2026

Ready to dive into Gender Lens Investing? Join the WEE Connect Webinar on June 3, 2026, from 2:00 PM–4:30 PM to learn how to strengthen gender-responsive social enterprises!

Hear from our speakers: Ms. Maria Rosario “Lot” Felizco (Oxfam Pilipinas), Ms. Ednie Luceño-Casiller (Foundation for a Sustainable Society, Inc.), Ms. Abigail Tan (ARQ BDS SME - SheSecure), Mr. Toto Camba (inBEST Ventures), and Ms. Ivy Panganiban (Oxfam Pilipinas). The session will be hosted by Dr. Marie Lisa Dacanay, President, Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia.

To register, scan the QR or go to this link: https://tinyurl.com/WEEConnect-GLI

This webinar is under the EmpowerHer Project implemented by Oxfam Pilipinas, The Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia (ISEA), PRESENT Coalition, WE LIVE FOOD Platform, and Investing In Women supported by Australia in The Philippines.

26/05/2026

Ready to turn gender equality into a strategic advantage for investment and growth?

Gender Lens Investing (GLI) is the future of financing. It goes beyond traditional returns, evaluating how your enterprise impacts women as leaders, employees, producers, and entrepreneurs. Investors are actively seeking enterprises with gender-responsive and care-supportive policies because they demonstrate stronger governance, lower risk, and improved productivity.

This is your strategic opportunity to access capital, partnerships, and blended finance, boosting your competitiveness and sustainability—not just your compliance.

Join the WEE Connect Webinar on “Building Gender-Responsive Social Enterprises: Gender Lens Investing” on June 3, 2026 (Wednesday) at 2:00–4:30 PM via Zoom and Facebook Live.

Register at https://tinyurl.com/WEEConnect-GLI

This webinar is under the EmpowerHer Project implemented by Oxfam Pilipinas, The Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia (ISEA), PRESENT Coalition, WE LIVE FOOD Platform, and Investing In Women supported by Australia in The Philippines.

Secure your spot now!

22/05/2026

20/05/2026

✨ MEET OUR SPEAKER: Hon. Jose Manuel Alba ✨

We are honored to announce that Hon. Jose Manuel Alba, Representative of the 1st District of Bukidnon, will be joining us as a featured speaker for Social Entrepreneurship 101.

As a primary champion of the Poverty Reduction through Social Entrepreneurship (PRESENT) Bill, Congressman Alba has been a steadfast advocate for creating an enabling policy environment that empowers social enterprises to scale their impact across the Philippines. His leadership in the House of Representatives continues to drive legislation that recognizes social entrepreneurship as a vital pathway for poverty reduction and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.

Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with one of the sector’s most dedicated government champions!

Register Now!
Secure your spot and learn how to turn passion into purpose-driven impact:
🔗 https://go.ateneo.edu/SE101-2026

Participation Fee: Php 3,000.00 (covers meals and venue)

11/05/2026

Ngayong Mother's Day, pinararangalan natin ang mga nanay at mga tumatayo bilang nanay na nag-aaruga ng pamilya at nagtataguyod ng ekonomiya. Bilang pagdiriwang sa araw na ito, alalahanin nating ang care work ay kolektibong pananagutan ng lahat.

Dahil ‘pag shared ang care work sa bahay, sama-samang aasenso sa buhay!

Ang pagbating ito ay mula sa EmpowerHer Project ng The Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia (ISEA), PRESENT Coalition, at Oxfam Pilipinas kasama ang suporta mula sa Investing In Women at ng Australian Embassy sa Pilipinas (Australia in The Philippines).