DTI Backs Social Enterprises at NSEC 2025 for Inclusive Growth

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reaffirmed its commitment to inclusive and sustainable development by backing the National Social Entrepreneurship Conference (NSEC) 2025 held from April 29 to 30 at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

With the theme “Scaling Change: Advances of Social Enterprises in Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development,” the event spotlighted how social enterprises are pivotal in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by engaging marginalized communities.

The conference emphasized the role of emerging technologies such as digital inclusion, clean energy, climate tech, and gender-focused innovations in reshaping social entrepreneurship in the country.

Social entrepreneurs and experts explored how the poor and underserved can be active stakeholders in enterprise-led development efforts across sectors.

Topics such as impact investing, sustainable financing models, and enabling policy frameworks were also key areas of discussion to support long-term growth in the sector.

A notable segment was a keynote from the DTI titled “Enabling Social Enterprises as Partners of Government in Achieving a Single Digit Poverty Rate,” which called for deeper collaboration between government and mission-driven enterprises.

In a video message, DTI Secretary Cristina A. Roque said, “Social enterprises complement our poverty alleviation strategies and play a vital role in realizing the vision of Bagong Pilipinas.”

Regional Operations Group Supervising Head and Undersecretary Blesila Lantayona echoed this, calling on stakeholders to pursue courageous change and inclusive progress.

“Let us choose the braver path. Let us build a future where poverty is not a generational sentence but a solvable challenge—where progress is measured not only by GDP, but by lives uplifted, communities empowered, and dreams realized,” Lantayona said.

The conference was jointly organized by key institutions including the Ateneo Center for Social Entrepreneurship, the Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia, UP Institute for Small Scale Industries, and the Poverty Reduction through Social Entrepreneurship Coalition.

It brought together a broad coalition of changemakers—ranging from policymakers and academics to investors, development organizations, and student leaders—aimed at scaling systemic impact.

According to the 2025 Social Enterprise Profiling Report, the Philippines is home to more than 202,000 social enterprises, accounting for about 16% of all registered businesses nationwide.

Of these, 44% operate in Luzon, 35% in Mindanao, and 21% in the Visayas, with significant impacts in agriculture, tourism, cultural industries, services, and manufacturing.

By positioning social enterprises as vital partners in national development, the DTI and its partners are steering the country toward inclusive economic transformation.

The NSEC 2025 serves as a strategic platform not only for innovation and collaboration but also for building a future where profit aligns with purpose.