Walang iwanan has been the battle cry of Gawad Kalinga (GK), the Philippines' leading organization in poverty alleviation, in their mission to end poverty for 5 million families in the Philippines by 2024. To build a country where no man or woman is left behind,the value of inclusion must take precedence especially in the realm of business by honing the creativity and innovation of social entrepreneurs and building a strong economy of social enterprises.

This battle cry was aptly the resounding theme of the Social Business Summit 2014 entitled, “Economic Innovation for Inclusive Wealth Creation.” This summit, held last October 2-4, 2014, gathered together delegates from around the Philippines and the world in a symposium on the value of social entrepreneurship in achieving inclusive growth, the investment in social enterprises, and the need for wealth creation that is shared and sustainable in creating a Philippines that is the Social Business Hub of Asia. 

 

On Poverty and Building Bridges

“We can characterize poverty as a lack of access,” defines Senator Bam Aquino, “[a reality] where you’re isolated and cannot cross over. When it comes to development in the Philippines, we have to talk about crossing over to a developed country.” According to Aquino, social business – which can be defined as a corporation or enterprise that has social consciousness and sustainability embedded in their core values – is “a form of a bridge [connecting] farming and urban poor communities to larger markets.”

“We are the second best economy in the best economic continent in the world,” declares Aquino. Our growth, according to Aquino, can be characterized as concentrated growth, where the poor currently do not prosper from the growth of our economy. “The challenge to fight poverty is to make sure that growth includes everyone.”

“It’s more than just about bridging economic gaps,” Aquino continues. “It’s about bridging faith, bridging cultures, bridging people, bridging minds, bridging hearts – a bridge that allows us to move forward together.” 

 

Building a Sustainable World

“For us to build a world that is sustainable, we have to have men of character,” declares GK Founder Tony Meloto. Sustainability here refers to sustainable development and the ability of the corporations we build – the social businesses we erect – to respond to the social and environmental needs of the present society, while neither neglecting the needs of the poor nor foregoing society’s ability to meet the needs of the future generations.

Sustainable development, according to Elisea Gozun, former Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, is characterized by long-term economic growth, environmental protection, and social development. Green businesses,or enterprises that have a minimal negative impact on the globe, are therefore the key to creating a world that is both sustainable and profitable.

“Human kind has let loose the Pandora's box and nature has responded,” says Lorenzo Tan, President of the World Wildlife Fund. “We have the opportunity to take the world beyond revolution, but to renaissance.” 

 

Investing in the Poor

“The greatest good is brought about by investing in people,” shares John Miller, CEO of Nestle Philippines. When businesses move from corporate social responsibility (CSR) to creating shared value (CSV) or inclusive growth, they define the sweet spot where business imperatives and social needs converge – where social responsibility evolves into a heightened consciousness at the heart of business models themselves, thereby influencing their everyday courses of action.

It is only by trusting the poor and investing in their potential that social entrepreneurs can tap into their creativity and innovativeness that create real solutions through participatory processes. “The burden of the social entrepreneur is the investment of the poor – it is their unconditional trust,” says GK’s Luis Oquinena. 

 

The Genius of the Poor

“Here in the Philippines, we are all poor because we keep leaving the poor behind,” expresses Meloto. “The problem of the poor is really disconnection. [The answer is] bridging the genius of the rich with the genius of the poor.”

Social entrepreneurs have begun to come together to actualize a reality where Made in the Philippines connotes world-class quality and social consciousness goes beyond charity and pity purchases. “The youth is very empowered and very idealistic,” says Shell’s Edgar Chua. “These are the people who say, ‘I want to be part of a company that is socially responsible, not just a company that profits’.”

 

“The Filipino was not raised tobe entrepreneurs,” Meloto continues. “But we were not just designed to be consumers- we can actually be producers. We will unlearn our colonial mentality.”

“The Philippines is going to catch up,” exclaims Human Nature’s Dylan Wilk. “Whatever it takes to make the country rise, the Filipinos are willing to do that. This country will not change except through sacrifice.”