Personal: Active Citizens Leaders for Social Impact Experience

She's the one third of Messy Bessy. 

She shared to us that the secret to a successful social enterprise is a combination of these three aspects: social impact + social innovation + sustainability. 

Meeting the other Social Entrepreneurs

The whole experience was a beautiful exchange of insightful ideas. I was learning from others, I was able to get in touch with people whose causes seemed to get aligned with mine. Balaybalay 3D and Balud Books of Swito Twins Designs were Davao-based social enterprise that I can relate to because they are also advocating the preservation of culture from tribes all around Mindanao. Alfonga Pottery and Green Trikes(in its ideation stage) were cooperatives I got to share my views with. NACES Mindanao  and Panginam o Bangsamoro Incorporated  were cultural education initiatives that I got to get inspiration from. RisPh and Virtualahan are enterprises I hope that will soon exist in Nabunturan. John Louie and Cheryl of Balay Mindanaw, Melon of Gat's Garden, Liezel of Juana Urban Food Farming, Doc Budji of Balay Sa Hardin, Ma'am Grace of Heaven Scents,  Queen of Append, and Sir Richard Celeste of FundGrow.ph  were social enterprises that I got mingle with. Also Cheryl, Katrina Kendall- Miss Earth London 2015, Sir Romulo, Ma'am Crina were inspiring social entrepreneurs too. 

The Pitching

We were able to pitch our own enterprise to Richard Rejas, Angel Flores, Marge Defensor, Chris So and Berns Uy with Apa documenting everything that is happening on the hall. I was the last person to pitch where I felt I was thrown in a pool full of sharks. 

Tribal Performance

We were able to see tribes from Northern Mindanao, perform with their own musical instruments and see them sway with their own cultural dances. We also had the chance to converse with them, how it was different it was before.

The activities.

We are able to share our own strengths and weaknesses, express our own creativity on some activities, get hold of our listening skills getting facts, feelings and purposes.  Also watched videos related to the creation of social enterprises. We mapped our community and site areas in our enterprise that is needed to be supported. We discuss market competition and the importance of our why.

We were able to define that a social entrepreneur should be resilient, passionate, engaging and a catalyst. 

The exchange of idea and the realization that my social entrepreneur personality  was a mixture of social missionary and innovator was an eye opener, that I have to work on some aspect of my manager side but not to be the whole of the three personalities. Because according to Marge, a business fails because the businessman tries to become the whole three personalities.

Dire Husi

The whole team got to see Rhyan Casino's Dire Husi, a social enterprise that utilize art with holistic approach in getting street children out of the streets.

Looking Forward to.

The only thing that I really want to happen is that I hope I can really achieve in doubling the weavers around C.H.A.I.N. and I hope I can launch the Chain Shoes soon.

Messages to the organizer.

To miss Marge, I still don't believe that you look younger than your age. To miss Angel you reminded me of someone who gives me so much laugh way back college. To sir Richard, I think that our names will not mean "a strong courageous king" anymore, it will be change to " a change maker". To Apa, I can relate to you much because my functions here in our place seems to be like yours, photographer/image editor/ and videographer. To Chris, I will be learning the technicalities of those financial statements. To miss Berns, you gave me the biggest push I have receive this year thank you very much. Your team has been a wonderful and the kindest bunch I've met. I am forever grateful to the all of you for making the 4 day workshop a memory worth keeping. 

To the social entrepreneurs all around Mindanao, thank you for making the whole four days a wonderful journey. 

It was said that the social enterprise is a global movement, that I am a part of it now. The hours of travelling to Northern Mindanao were worth it, I felt validated with the fact that British Council Philippines have chosen me to experience  Active Citizens: Leaders for Social Impact Mindanao leg.