Message from the Executive Director
Partners and Colleagues,
As we reflect on nearly three decades of being staunch advocates of social entrepreneurship, we dedicate this issue of our newsletter to highlight the impact of our social enterprise (SE) partners through whom we realize our vision of bringing forth social and economic empowerment to marginalized communities across the country.
We would like to make special mention of Kauyagan Savers Multi-Purpose Cooperative which recently inaugurated its Center for Progress, Peace, and Resilience in Impasug-ong, Bukidnon and the the Kilusang Lima para sa Lahat Multi-Purpose Cooperative (K5 COOP) which recently opened their Peaks and Waves Bed and Breakfast in Dingalan, Aurora.
The Kauyagan Center is an expansion of the cooperative’s consumer store, which will also house their business operations. In this newsletter, we share an in-depth look at how their cooperative has empowered indigenous communities in Northern Mindanao through coffee farming.
Meanwhile, Peaks and Waves is K5 Coop’s first venture in the hospitality business, bringing sustainability and harnessing the emerging market in the area.
We also share with you other updates from new and current SE partners who have made strides in their respective industries. Trunk to Gold (T2G) Agribusiness, which works with coconut farmers in Misamis Oriental, has been a trailblazer in promoting coco products as alternative to copra, continuously bagging awards and expanding their market.
It is in these stories that FSSI finds its meaning and place in the SE sector. On this note, and as part of marking FSSI’s 28th Anniversary last September 6, 2023, I would also like to express our appreciation to our partners – both social enterprises and support institutions – which have enriched our journey and enabled us to fulfill our mission.
We, at FSSI, are excited for what we can collectively achieve together, and we look forward to continue working to make lasting and transformative impact. One may say that it is not easy to talk about genuine and significant enough change, especially considering the many issues and problems that the country faces, but it is for this very reason that we must persevere and do what we can in ways that we can.
As we continue on our journey, we remain committed to grow and utilize, carefully and with full responsibility, the fund that was entrusted to us 28 years ago in order to uplift the lives of the marginalized.
