ISEA Commemorates 4th Anniversary
The Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia (ISEA) commemorated its 4th Anniversary on June 29, 2012 at the Ateneo de Manila University by holding a General Assembly of its Philippine-based members and launching the Multisectoral Forum Series on Poverty Reduction Through Social Entrepreneurship.
The General Assembly of Philippine-based members was presided over by Dr. Antonio La Vina, Dean of the Ateneo School of Government and Chair of ISEA. ISEA President Marie Lisa Dacanay delivered the Presidents’ Report and One Year Plan. Gracing the General Assembly were Foundation for a Sustainable Society, Inc. Executive Director Jay Lacsamana; Philippine Social Enterprise Network Executive Director Lurina Gargarita; World Fair Trade Organization-Asia Executive Director Ramona Ramos; Oikocredit Southeast Asia Regional Director Maria Theresa Pilapil; Asian Institute of Management Professor Ronald Chua; and representatives from the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (Assistant Vice President Joey Gloria); Atikha Overseas Workers and Communities Initiatives, Inc. (Deputy Director Aileen Penas); Philippine Business for Social Progress (Business in Development Program Coordinator Mercy Rosetes); and International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions-Philippines (Program Officer Irene Fernandez).
The ISEA President outlined 5 major accomplishments of ISEA during the period January 2011-June 2012:
- Launching of a 4-day Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship Course as an executive cum basic course of a masteral / diploma program on social entrepreneurship jointly offered by ISEA and the Ateneo School of Government;
- Completion of the pilot offering of a 16-day Strategic Management Course for Social Enterprises to meet the need for capability enhancement among practitioners in cooperation with Oikocredit;
- Providing a unifying framework for advocacy based on primary research (notably the Research on Social Enterprises and the Poor undertaken by the ISEA President as her PhD dissertation) for the sector to give focus to developing ‘social enterprises with the poor as primary stakeholders or SEPPS’ as major partners in poverty reduction
- Leading the Action Research that culminated in the Poverty Reduction Through Social Entrepreneurship (PRESENT) Bill and Coalition, in partnership with Oikocredit and the Foundation for a Sustainable Society Inc (FSSI). The bill may be seen as a codification of the features of a policy environment supportive to social enterprises as major partners of government in poverty reduction. The coalition is serving to unify and give a voice to the emerging social enterprise sector in the advocacy for PRESENT.
- Piloting a partnership with the business sector (through BPI Foundation) to democratize the access of practitioners to social entrepreneurship education focusing on Social Enterprise Financial Management and Social Return on Investment
Highlights of the General Assembly also included the approval of a Communication and Resource Mobilization Strategy presented by Business Communications Specialist Teresa Custodio. Ms Custodio was recently appointed ISEA Vice President for Communications, a position created to lead the development of communication platforms that would be effective vehicles for generating income for the institute. The General Assembly also resolved to undertake a more sustained effort towards the original intent of serving as an Asia-wide platform for promoting social entrepreneurship. The General Assembly agreed to work towards holding a Regional Assembly and Conference to showcase various models and lessons from social entrepreneurship experiences in Asia in 2013.
The General Assembly was followed by the launch of a Multisectoral Forum Series on Poverty Reduction Through Social Entrepreneurship featuring Hon. Lorenzo Tanada III as keynote.
