Odiongan, Romblon: Empowering Communities, One Social Enterprise at a Time

In a bold move toward grassroots empowerment, the Municipality of Odiongan, Romblon has passed the Tatak SE: Ato Kali Industries ordinance, a pioneering initiative to support and scale social enterprises in Odiongan. With this, the municipality institutionalizes its commitment to community-driven economic development and sets a new standard for enabling governance.

This legislative milestone positions Odiongan as a model local government unit (LGU) for embedding social enterprise (SE) development within public policy, showing us an alternative path for inclusive growth.

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Tatak SE: Ato Kali Industries | A Blueprint for Sustainable Local Development

The approval of this ordinance goes beyond symbolic support—it embeds social entrepreneurship as a key component of Odiongan’s local governance and economic strategy. Through this legislation, the Tatak SE: Ato Kali Industries program has been established, while the multi-sector Tatak SE Odiongan Council has been created to oversee the implementation, monitoring, and sustainability of SE programs. At its core, the program seeks to:

• Promote and institutionalize sociaI enterprises as a means to achieve inclusive, equitable and sustainable Iocal economic development;
• Empower marginalized sectors, promote local products, and create economic opportunities for communities;
• Ensure multi-sectoral coIlaboration to provide comprehensive support for Social Enterprise: Ato-Kali Industries development.

By integrating social enterprises into its policy framework, Odiongan ensures that development is locally anchored, participatory, and sustainable.

This step is not only a win for local entrepreneurs—it’s a template for how LGUs across the Philippines can take an active role in empowering their citizens.

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A Model for the Nation: Philippine Social Enterprise Roadmap

Odiongan, Romblon is a model LGU of the National Social Enterprise Development Roadmap (SE Roadmap), alongside the Local Government of Quezon City and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

These LGUs are proving that social enterprise is not solely a private sector initiative, but an effective governance approach to sustainable development. As part of this national effort, Odiongan, Quezon City, and BARMM are being established as replicable models for:

• Integrating social mission into local economies
• Formalizing support structures and mechanisms for SEs
• Engaging multi-sector stakeholders to advance SEs and empower communities

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The Power of Enabling Leadership

This transformative work would not be possible without the support of visionary leader Trina Firmalo-Fabic - the newly elected Governor of Romblon and Mayor of Odiongan from 2016-2025 - and the tireless efforts of Team Serbisyong May Puso. Their governance philosophy, rooted in empathy and service, has brought social enterprise to the forefront of Odiongan’s development agenda.

Their leadership highlights how local government units can act as powerful enablers of innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable livelihoods—especially when they work hand-in-hand with the people they serve.

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Social Enterprise in the Philippines: A Growing Movement

The story of Odiongan, Romblon reflects a larger momentum sweeping across the Philippines. More and more LGUs and institutions are recognizing the vital role of social enterprises in addressing poverty, inequality, and environmental challenges, as well as their contribution to the larger social and solidarity economy and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

These combined efforts across sectors prove that supportive ecosystems can be built so that social enterprises can flourish—and communities can rise together.

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Looking Ahead

As the Tatak SE: Ato Kali Industries program gains traction, the groundwork has been laid for deeper and more lasting reforms, not just in Odiongan but for the entire province of Romblon. The hope is that this model of governance can inspire more local leaders to adopt a community-first approach to development.

The work continues – to empower families, to uplift communities, and to build a resilient, inclusive Philippines, where no one is left behind.