104584 Dancel, Roselle Jean R.

LS127: Football Session

Reflection Paper 3: Social Entrepreneurship
The talk on Social Entrepreneurship was both inspiring and
admirable since I learned about the amount, and nature of, sustainable
businesses being continuously established in the country. My
understanding of Social Entrepreneurship is basically any activity pursued
by an individual, or group, which has a rooted social purpose that
addresses neglected social problems within the country. This particular
kind of entrepreneurship deals with issues experienced by our nation,
which possibly can expand in a global scale. For example, in the
Philippines, one of the biggest problems its dealing with is the issue on
poverty and how to slowly alleviate or decrease the continuously
increasing rate of poverty. While other organizations try to put up
educational or livelihood projects in order to address this pressing issue,
others, like the Gawad Kalinga, a non-profit organization focusing on
community development, set up livelihood programs for the families
theyve catered homes to and build a sustainable enterprise out of it. In
fact, Gawad Kalingas mission is to end poverty for 5 million people by
2024 through dignity restoration, community development and
stewardship of resources. Going back, social entrepreneurship is a very
significant economic phenomenon that paves the way for the creation of
new industries given the issue wanted to be addressed. In addition to this,
it also validates existing business models and helps these models to be
further refined and adjusted to the sustainability nature it possess. Lastly,
it also allows for the allocation of resources towards neglected social
problems.
The talk mentioned a lot of businesses that partake in such
sustainable enterprises with their corresponding advocacies; mostly under
the supervision of Gawad Kalinga, two of which I would like to point out
and reflect on: (1) Karpentoy and Plush & Play, and (2) The Golden Egg
given that I see so much potential in these, and one of them addresses
one of my personal advocacies.
The Golden Egg
Started by Alvie Benitez, this social enterprise is incubated in the GK
Enchanted Farm which aims to explore and expand the Pinoy duck market,
relative to the Php 400 billion chicken industry in the Philippines. As of
now, the pinoy duck industry consists of the following: Penoy, Balut and
Salted Eggs. The processing of the traditional salted egg, making it feedgrade and healthier for consumption, is what is being done with the
people living in the GK community, and around Bulacan as well. Not only
do they pursue different ways of booming this potentially rich market, but
this social enterprise train duck farmers on how to grow their ducks
professionally, and they are also put under workshops that teach about
managing accounts and stocks that would help these farmers build and
manage their business. Indeed, it is admirable how they are able to

produce such a enticing and healthy product that benefits both producers
and consumers in terms of the learning process passed on to its
producers. Hopefully, they are able to reach their goal of expanding their
market, which basically is the issue they planned on addressing duck
market and its farmers.

Karpentoys & Plush and Play

Karpentoys is also another social enterprise under the Gawad
Kalinga Foundation that offers bamboo toys made by its GK Enchanted
Farm community residents. Fabien Courteille, this social enterprises
pioneer, wanted to address the issue of toxic materials that are mostly
found in toys, 80% of which are imported from outside the country,
through the utilization of bamboo and local materials that are
meticulously manufactured and less hazardous for children. The toxic
elements found in most imported toys can be fatal to children; thus the
creation of this social enterprise. Not only would they produce educational
bamboo and plush toys, safer and environmental-friendly, but it would
also showcase Filipino craftsmanship and promote awareness to the
countrys local culture. This social enterprise is admirable given that the
benefits are directed to people of young and old.
Social entrepreneurship indeed is one of the keys to create a
competitive yet very advantageous business environment for those who
are part of the lower classes. It provides sustainability workshops that
impart skills that would help those of the lower class to succeed. Not only
that, but as the talk mentioned: building sustainable enterprises must be
done to help end the vicious cycle of poverty.