2025 Philippine Social Enterprise Roadmap Conference Spotlights Technology as Key to Inclusive Growth

QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES – The 2025 Philippine Social Enterprise (SE) Roadmap Conference successfully concluded its third annual run from November 5 to 7 at the Quezon City Meetings, Incentives, Conference & Exhibitions (M.I.C.E.) Center, convening over 800 changemakers from across Asia. With the theme “Technology Innovations in Social Enterprise and the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” the conference mobilized multi-sector collaboration to drive the next phase of impact-driven development in the Philippines and the larger ASEAN region. 

This year’s conference brought together key stakeholders from government and the private sector, civil society, academe, investors, social entrepreneurs and grassroots communities to advance technology-enabled innovation for the growth of social enterprises (SEs) and the broader Social and Solidarity Economy. 

Mayor Joy Belmonte officially opened the conference, reaffirming Quezon City’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable development through social enterprise.

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“Kasama ka sa pag-unlad. We told our people: you are part of our progress. What does it actually mean when we commit to progress that embraces everyone? What do we mean when we say no one gets left behind? To answer this, we turn to the powerful model of social enterprise and community-driven economy,” shared Mayor Belmonte. “We chose to believe that business, when guided with purpose, can be a powerful force for good – that our citizens have the capacity to become economic movers. Thus, kasama ka sa pag-unlad became our battlecry. It was a declaration of our commitment to ensure that the progress we fight for redounds to our people.”

Mayor Belmonte was joined by the conference’s co-organizers in welcoming the delegates.  Helen Marquez, Vice President of Globe Telecom, pledged Globe’s support in turning digital connectivity into a catalyst for tangible, sustainable and inclusive growth. “We are one with Mayor Belmonte and the Bayan Family of Foundations to uplift the lives of every Filipino through technology,” said Marquez.

Carmina Marquez, Executive Director of BPI Foundation (BPIF) and Chairperson of the SE Roadmap Corporations Subsector, shared their continuing efforts to empower social entrepreneurs. As one of the earliest movers of the SE Roadmap, BPIF has played a crucial role in rallying support for the movement from the Ayala Group of Companies. Speaking on behalf of the Ayala Corporation, Marquez highlighted the power of collaboration across sectors. “Together, we can build a nation where purpose and progress move forward as one - where the success of every social enterprise becomes the success of the entire nation.”

Rounding out the opening plenary was Prof. Carlo Sagun, President & CEO of the Bayan Family of Foundations, who brought it back to the core beliefs and values bringing the entire body together.  

“Maka-Diyos, makatao, makakalikasan, makabayan - these are the very values that are engraved in our Filipino hearts. They’re innate. If you practice the Filipino values in the context of enterprise development, it necessarily becomes a social enterprise,” he said. 

“But one good social enterprise cannot change a system. You need a city-wide - and a nation-wide - effort to change a system. You need government, the private sector, and civil society. We should all act together so that we can collectively go for the outcome of social enterprise development – businesses that go for the values of maka-Diyos, makatao, makakalikasan, makabayan.”

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A central highlight of Day 1 was the State of the Philippine SE Roadmap Subsectors Address, which provided context to the SE Roadmap journey, thus far. Leaders from the Cooperative, NGO, MSME, Academe, and Corporate Subsectors shared their Year 2 milestones and strategic plans toward growing the scope, size, and socio-environmental impact of SEs nationwide.

Over the course of the 3-day event, participants actively engaged in multi-sector dialogue on scaling community-centered solutions and nurturing SEs from seed to scale. Delegates learned firsthand from startup innovators and social entrepreneurs, capacity-building and impact investing sessions, and workshops on AI technologies and digital solutions for enterprise growth. The conference also marked the launch of the National Social Enterprise Registry, designed as a key mechanism to support SE sector expansion in the Philippines.

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A major draw for attendees was the SE Marketplace, with Filipino social enterprises showcasing their homegrown products and services. Complementing this was a Tech Startup Expo, which featured digital tools and innovations to help SEs expand their reach and impact.

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The 2025 Philippine SE Roadmap Conference also served as a strategic milestone toward the Philippines’ ASEAN Summit Chairmanship in 2026, positioning the country as a leader in advancing inclusive, technology-enabled, and sustainability-driven development in the region. 

The insights, partnerships, and commitments generated during the event will guide the next phase of the Philippine SE Roadmap’s implementation and its integration into the broader Social and Solidarity Economy across ASEAN.

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The conference was hosted by the SE Roadmap co-secretariat—Bayan Family of Foundations and the Society for the Advancement of Professional Social Entrepreneurship—with the support of its co-organizers: Tatak SE, the Quezon City Government, Ayala Corporation, the Cooperative Development Authority, Globe, Meta, and StartUp Village, and sponsors: BPI Foundation and GCash.

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Video highlights of the conference may be viewed through the event website:
https://www.bayanfamilyoffoundations.org/2025-philippine-social-enterprise-roadmap-conference

For more information on the SE Roadmap, contact seroadmap@bayanfamilyoffoundations.org.