Chairperson’s Message

September 7, 2020

For the Common Good

Mr. Norman Joseph “Oman” Jiao

For the common good.

Twenty-five years ago, this guiding principle birthed the Foundation for a Sustainable Society, Inc. (FSSI). With an endowment of P454.8 million, FSSI geared up to battle poverty by financing sustainable development projects. We could only imagine the exhilaration and the joy of that moment, the minds of enthusiastic development workers already churning out the many possibilities on how to reach out to as many of our less fortunate fellowmen as possible and help in making their lives better.

Today, FSSI’s fund balance has grown to Php 922,305,2221 and over the past 25 years, we have invested in and supported more than 230 social enterprises through loans, equity investments and grants. Our loans and development deposits to partners now amount P 410 million and our net equity investments in enterprises total to P 46 million. The numbers are big, but we cannot rest on these achievements. Poverty and inequity are still on the rise, many are still struggling to make a decent living. As we pause and look back to 25 years, we also ask the question, “Have we done enough?” Being a steward of the Fund is an opportunity, putting us in a unique position to make a difference and effect change in the quality of lives of individuals, families, and communities.

In this milestone year, let us re-live that moment of exhilaration and joy 25 years ago and, with renewed enthusiasm, think of innovative ways to contribute to achieving the country’s development goals, because truly, we can do much more.

We cannot talk about development and not talk about the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected and is drastically changing our lives. As it affects our communities and our ranks, it has become our own battle to take on. We pray for wisdom to guide us through strategic actions and significant engagements to address the challenges brought forth by the pandemic. We are determined not to be deterred by it, rather, we will do our best to continue serving our communities and find ways to cope with the “new normal.” We should be able to use the Fund to continue supporting meaningful and relevant interventions for development, while ensuring that the Fund is sustained and its value maintained. As we move forward, let our core values of Stewardship, Inclusivity, Good Governance, and Excellence (SIGE) be our guide. We survived many economic, social, and political unrests and we will get through this pandemic because we believe in the resilience of the Filipino spirit.

Let us not allow this pandemic to take the joy away from celebrating our 25^th founding anniversary. On this milestone year, we honor our Swiss and Filipino colleagues in the sector who, 25 years ago, vigorously campaigned for the debt agreement, and the citizens and government of Switzerland for the generous consideration. We look back with gratefulness to the management, staff and trustees who came before us and steered FSSI to where it is today. We give credit to our development workers for the work that they do and their genuine compassion for the respective communities they are assigned to. Without their hard work, we could not have accomplished as much.

To all of you, maraming salamat po.

FSSI commits to uphold its mandate and engage in significant undertakings for the common good. This is what we are here for. This is what FSSI is all about.

Newsletter, What's New in FSSI

COVID-19 and Women’s Economic Participation

By admin on

June 18, 2020

- Newsletter, What's New in FSSI

Investing in Women, an initiative of the Australian Government, provides an analysis around the impacts of COVID-19, previous pandemics and recessions, on the economic position of women through a rapid review of academic and grey literature on gender, COVID-19, and women’s formal employment. It also presents risks and opportunities looking ahead. Here is a summary of some of the key report findings. You can access the full report here.

What Previous Recessions and Pandemics Tell Us

There are unequivocal findings showing consistent common themes that women’s economic security, formal employment participation, political representation, health outcomes, and educational achievement are negatively affected by economic and health crises, more so than men’s. These outcomes have a long-term negative impact on women’s human capital formation and economic security. Further, economic and health crises exacerbate pre-existing inequalities and set gender equality back.

Women and girls are disproportionately vulnerable to economic shocks compared to men. Pre-existing gender inequalities mean that women have less access to productive resources, which translates to lower earnings and bargaining power; thus, women’s limited ability to develop their capabilities, make strategic choices, and participate on equal terms with men in the economy.

The negative consequences of economic and health crises on women are compounded by the systematic lack of women’s participation and leadership in crisis response and recovery strategies and the failure to include gender-specific analyses in these strategies. The recovery period following recessions is estimated to be 3–7 years and previous crises demonstrate that a lack of attention to gender equality in national and business response recovery strategies will set gender equality back decades.

Women and COVID-19

The COVID-19 crisis is more significant than previous economic or health crises in both depth and scope. Women have been affected immediately and are likely to be more adversely affected in the longer term unless gender progressive interventions are made.

The worst affected sectors include retail trade, accommodation, food services, tourism, and manufacturing – all of which are highly feminized, making women exposed to the heaviest burden of job loss and a prolonged decline in income and labor force participation.¹

Women are also disproportionately employed in the health sector and associated industries operating at the frontlines. The World Health Organization estimates that 70% of the global healthcare workforce are women. While health workers represent a relatively small proportion of the total workforce in Southeast Asian countries where Investing in Women works – the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Myanmar -they are exposed to the direct health risks of COVID-19, often without adequate personal protective equipment and for very long hours, vulnerable to infection and worried about passing infection to their families.

COVID-19 has also intensified pre-existing gender division of labor and the double burden of paid and unpaid work. Social norms mean that many women have found themselves responsible for home schooling their children, caring for elderly family members, and doing household chores even while working. Where working from home has been implemented, there have been some reports it has driven a more equitable division of work and care² while others have reported this has contributed to an elevated risk of domestic violence.³

Post-COVID-19: Risks and Opportunities

In a crisis context, there is a risk women may face a ‘new normal’ or a return to the ‘old normal’ of reduced employment opportunities as employers prioritize male employees in the allocation of work and in the rehiring and promotion process. Women may also face work conditions being degraded due to financial pressures, reflecting the prioritization of economic efficiency over labor rights.

The COVID-19 crisis is an opportunity to revalue economic and care work. If gender-sensitive policies, including work from home arrangements, are carefully implemented, this could improve pay and conditions for the female workforce. Men’s exposure to the full domestic experience during lockdown could also prompt a positive shift in the gendered division of labor. Sharing the burden of essential unpaid work could have positive normative and economic effects on women’s economic participation.

There are opportunities post-COVID-19 to embed gender equality at the center of national recovery strategies in line with the global commitment to improving women’s workforce participation (G20, 2017).

As governments and businesses focus on immediate concerns of health, livelihoods and the economy, gender equality may take a ‘backseat’ in crisis management. However, gender-blind policies could have damaging consequences for workplace equality. Previous recessions have shown that diversity and inclusion strategies also fall in priority. If economic recovery strategies are gender responsive, there is an opportunity to ‘build back better’ with women and girls as a focus in crisis management and recovery (UN, 2020).

Gender equitable recovery strategies will also boost national productivity, deliver inclusive growth, and underwrite the Sustainable Development Goals 2030. These strategies should include policy measures that support women’s formal employment opportunities, women’s entrepreneurial activity, and unpaid care work.

Investing in Women, an initiative of the Australian Government, catalyzes inclusive economic growth through women’s economic empowerment in Southeast Asia. Established in 2016, Investing in Women uses innovative approaches to improve women’s economic participation as employees and as entrepreneurs and to influence the enabling environment to promote women’s economic empowerment in the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar.

Letter from the Executive Director

By admin on

June 17, 2020

- Newsletter

Building Better in the New Normal

Sixto Donato C. Macasaet

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us on a “new normal,” with many of us still coming to terms with the radical changes enforced in our lives.

From the way we do business, to our health habits, and even in our social interactions, COVID-19 has pushed us to rethink our priorities and strategies.

At FSSI, since the start of the enforcement of community quarantines in March 2020, we have implemented work-from-home schemes, with targeted planning of the delivery of urgent tasks so we can still service the needs of partner social enterprises (SEs).

We have also announced extension of due dates for all loan payments during the quarantine period and are discussing loan restructuring for some partners. Aside from these, FSSI has developed a Business Rehabilitation Loan, a loan package with discounted interest rates to help current SE partners cope with new or additional business requirements as they work to recover from the effects of COVID-19 and the ensuing community restrictions.

The government has announced it is ramping up support to workers of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), including SEs, whose workers have lost their wages and/or whose business operations have been affected. You can find a compilation of the summary of

these programs in the newsletter. What we aim to do at FSSI is to complement or help fill the gaps for social enterprises, especially those of the poor and vulnerable. We are currently revisiting and adjusting our plans for the rest of the year so we can be more responsive to the challenges brought by COVID-19. We also intend to review our Strategic Plans for 2020 to 2024.

Even when the lockdowns end, experts forecast that the fight against the coronavirus would be far from over.

In addition to the pandemic, our country has also been recently hit by attacks on our democratic rights and freedom of expression. In early May 2020, the government shut down ABS-CBN. Earlier this month, it rushed the approval by Congress of the Anti-Terrorism Act, and on June 15, Maria Ressa and Reynaldo Santos, Jr. of Rappler were convicted of cyber-libel. These certainly run counter to FSSI’s vision of “Empowered communities upholding social justice, respecting integrity of creation, and realizing fullness of life” and to our core values of inclusivity and good governance.

Facing these medical, socio-economic, and political storms, what we can, and should do for now is to hold the line, brave the winds, act in solidarity with one another, and collectively build a better normal and a future with fullness of life for all.

Chairperson’s Message

By admin on

April 21, 2020

- Newsletter

Chairperson’s Message

Norman Joseph Jiao

As I am writing this, Luzon is under an extended Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) until the end of April 2020 and the whole country, in fact, the world, is reeling from the effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

We started 2020 with high hopes.

Building on an external evaluation we commissioned late last year which showed that FSSI’s partner SEs were satisfied with the services of the foundation, as well as an assessment of the internal conditions of FSSI and the external environment in which we operate, we crafted our Strategic Plan for 2020 to 2024. This Plan includes the refined Vision, Mission, and Core Values of FSSI. We have also set our strategic goals for our four key result areas of Financial Services Delivery, Social Enterprise Development, Asset and Investment Management, and Organizational Development.

This year we are also celebrating FSSI’s silver anniversary. We have crafted plans to mark the event, including holding a series of forums, publishing a book, and launching an accelerator program focused on sustainable agriculture SEs.

And then COVID-19 came.

Some social media commentators have quipped that we should re-start the year 2020 because it has a virus. As that is not possible, we need to face the difficulties that lie ahead. In doing that, we draw strength from the courage and dedication of the ‘frontliners’, both those inside health facilities and those outside, attending to our essential services.

We also draw energy and inspiration from the many volunteer efforts – big and small, national and local – that have independently sprung up to provide the needed personal protective equipment (PPE), transportation service, shelter, food and other necessities needed in our people’s fight against COVID-19. Within our network, various efforts have been launched to help support our frontliners and the most vulnerable Filipinos affected by the crisis.

So, even with COVID-19 and the extended quarantine, we look forward to celebrating FSSI’s 25th year, launching our new 5-year plan, and jointly creating a virus-free future for 3BL enterprises and for all Filipinos.

Helping Farmers Feed Families During COVID-19

By admin on

April 20, 2020

- Newsletter, Social Enterprise Stories, What's New in FSSI

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted to an unexpected slump in the Philippine economy. The latest report from the National Economic and Development Authority estimates that the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth will likely be at 4.3 at best and negative 0.6 percent at worst, assuming the impact of the crisis is felt until the middle of the year.¹ This is a staggering decline from the target growth rate set for 2020 which is at 6.5 to 7.5 percent.² Midway last month, Metro Manila was put under a community quarantine, which was eventually expanded to the entire Luzon, in an effort to contain the spread of the disease. Other provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao have also announced lockdowns.

The “enhanced community quarantine” in Luzon, now extended to April 30, has included the suspension of public transportation, classes, and work for non-essential businesses. Big and small businesses alike have continued to bear the brunt of the crisis as the general population is encouraged to stay at home. Social enterprises are not spared. Among FSSI partners, 31 out of 35 surveyed said that reduced mobility has affected their enterprise.

LiveGreen International is one of the few social enterprises that are able to operate, despite limited personnel. LiveGreen is engaged in the production, processing, and distribution of 100% fresh organic vegetables. Paris Uy, President and CEO, shared that their ongoing production is due to farmers continuing to work despite the crisis. Crops were planted in January and there is still a steady supply of farm produce. LiveGreen has around 30 to 40 partner farmers in Benguet, and some 10 to 15 in Batangas, Cavite, and Tanay.

Helping farmers who feed us

For Uy, the crisis is a wake-up call for society to support the farmers who are relentlessly producing our food. This calls for stronger links between the national and local governments and a better logistical support in transporting produce from farmers especially in the north to where the demand is across the country. Uy shares that they had difficulty transporting vegetables in the first few days of the lockdown, “Tuloy-tuloy ang production. Ang problema lang ay confusion and intervention of the LGU shutting down while the national government said food-related [cargo] can pass through.”

LiveGreen hauls five tons of vegetables from Baguio to Manila daily. In Baguio, farmers who come down to deliver goods to their La Trinidad warehouse often encounter delays due to the lockdown. Fortunately, it became easier when the Department of Agriculture (DA) issued food passes to ensure the unhampered movement of agricultural products through the numerous checkpoints across Luzon.

Uy also identifies the importance of coordination between government agencies concerned in the food supply chain and bringing food from producers to consumers. Come harvest time, if farmers are unable to bring their goods to Manila and with the decline in purchase orders from big businesses due to closure as what they have experienced during the lockdown, farmers are forced to dispose their produce — when local governments could have purchased these to be given out to families as part of COVID-19 relief efforts.

The DA has recently moved to consider workers in the agriculture and fisheries sector as front liners in the country’s fight against COVID-19. Various programs are also lined up to empower these front liners and boost local food production and manufacturing.

This crisis is changing the way we understand our health and even our food. For LiveGreen though, it is more than buying and eating local.

“Natural food is still the best food. Eventually the best way to keep ourselves healthy is to boost our immune system,” Uy shares.

Naturally growing products is the way to go. LiveGreen has always put prime in making sure that they provide organic, clean, and healthy food produced without the use of harmful chemicals. He also encourages backyard farming, as growing your own food makes a lot of difference now when most are confined in their homes and are finding limited access to groceries.

Opportunities ahead

As with every enterprise, the crisis is a continuous learning experience on resiliency and business continuity. This year, it has become clear to LiveGreen that their strategy must be scaling up online. Aside from physical distribution to supermarkets, the enterprise saw triple sales through online deliveries. They also saw an increase in the demand for other vegetable besides lettuces. People buy tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots more than usual, most likely to secure healthy food options for their households.

LiveGreen is determined to bring their systems online for the long term. Along with this is their vision to help farmers build among them a consortium that could potentially bring the price down by cutting off the middle man through an online database where consumers could readily access information on where to source fresh produce.

There may be a long way ahead in the fight against COVID-19, but the end of this pandemic is not about returning to normal; it’s about learning and thinking of ways to become better, and ultimately putting investments where our priorities should be. Our front liners such as our partners at LiveGreen and their partner farmers are seeing us through this crisis. It must be our turn to take care of them as well.

¹ http://www.neda.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/NEDA_Addressing-the-Social-and-Economic-Impact-of-the-COVID-19-Pandemic.pdf

² https://business.inquirer.net/293506/gdp-growth-projected-to-slide-to-2-6-in-2020

Letter from the Executive Director

By admin on

February 26, 2020

- Newsletter

Happy new year, everyone!

The start of any year offers us a chance to look back at what we have done in the past year, and to plan for, and look forward to, a fresh start. For FSSI, we are marking the beginning of our Strategic Plan for 2020 to 2024.

In this new medium term plan, we are shifting our focus from geographic- to commodity-based value chains so that we will not be limited only to priority areas, but will instead optimize opportunities from various sectors. Based on their potential for growth and improved outcome, and the presence and involvement of FSSI’s partner social enterprises, members and groups already working on the value chain, we have decided to focus on organic vegetables, cacao, bamboo, and renewable energy. While focusing on these four, we will remain responsive to proposed projects in other value chains.

Our new strategic plan also calls for more initiative in exploring the use of equity investments, in addition to loans, to support selected social enterprises, both those in the start-up and in the growth stages.

As we act on our strategic plans, we recognize the value of multi-sectoral partnerships. Related to this, one of the articles in this newsletter summarizes the lessons of Grow Asia in developing inclusive business in agriculture, such as the importance of building effective working groups which have a good mix of stakeholders (farmers’ groups and co-ops, agri-business, NGOs, government and others). There are also updates on programs of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that aim to support farmers, fishers and agri-entrepreneurs, and especially the youth. We are also sharing here some information on the latest Civil Society Organization Sustainability Index (CSOSI) for the Philippines.

This index looks at the status of the civil society sector based on seven dimensions: legal environment, organizational capacity, financial viability, advocacy, service provision, sectoral infrastructure, and public image.

Rounding up this issue of our newsletter, we also have articles on the relief assistance for Mindanao earthquake victims, which was undertaken by the Mindanao Coalition of Development NGO Networks (MINCODE) and Kapwa Upliftment Foundation, Inc. (KUFI), with support from FSSI, and on recent FSSI institutional events. At the start of the year, we usually greet each other “Manigong bagong taon!” which is commonly translated to “Prosperous new year!” Another translation of “manigo” is to be able to attain what one hopes for, which is very appropriate for us now with our new strategic plan.

So, here’s wishing all of us ‘Manigong bagong taon!’

FSSI Shifts Focus from Area- to Commodity-Based Value Chains

By admin on

February 26, 2020

- Newsletter, What's New in FSSI

Strategic Plan for 2020 to 2024

The Board of Trustees has approved FSSI’s new vision, mission, core values, priority value chains, and strategic goals and objectives for 2020 to 2024. Learning from the lessons of our strategic plan for 2017 to 2019, we are now shifting our focus from geographic- to commodity-based value chains. With the new strategy, value chain development will not be limited only to priority areas but will instead optimize opportunities from various sectors.

Four commodities were chosen based on their potential for growth, improved outcome, presence and involvement of FSSI’s SE partners and members or groups already working on the value chain that we can tap or work with: organic vegetables, cacao, bamboo, and renewable energy.

With the reassessment of our value chain focus, we also re-evaluated and simplified our vision and mission for brevity and clarity. Our core values were narrowed down to four from six but with the essential characteristics of the former core values still maintained.

VISION: Empowered communities upholding social justice, respecting integrity of creation, and realizing fullness of life

MISSION: To provide social investments to enterprises through the triple bottom line (3BL) strategy

CORE VALUES:

STEWARDSHIP FSSI is committed to exercise responsible management over the resources entrusted to us, taking into full account the interests of society, future generations, and all species. We also promote biodiversity conservation and the protection of the environment. Sustainability will always guide us in the work that we do.

INCLUSIVITY We recognize the dignity and human rights of all persons regardless of sex, gender, culture, faith, ethnicity, age, social status or other attributes. FSSI believes in providing equitable treatment and opportunities to all in their access to and control over resources, decision-making and the benefits of development. FSSI endeavors to facilitate access particularly for the marginalized to increase their capacities and fulfil their potential.

GOOD GOVERNANCE We demand, in all our dealings and in society, the practice of transparency, participation, integrity, and accountability. We strive to create an enabling environment for sustainable human development.

EXCELLENCE We set and demonstrate the highest standards in the performance of our duties and ensure continuing relevance, effectiveness and efficiency. FSSI commits to consistently seek out new and improved ways of partnering with and serving social enterprises and Philippine society.

Project Management Workshop 2020

With almost all of the units with full staff complement, FSSI in January 2020 held a project management workshop to review and enhance existing work processes. The workshop was facilitated by the Center for Humanitarian Learning and Innovation (CHLI) and identified areas for improvement for work efficiency.

Here are some of the suggestions discussed during the workshop:

1. Computerized project development and monitoring systems

2. Online banking and account with a different bank for faster and timely transactions with partner SEs

3. Automated document tracking system including all HR forms

4. Database for institutional knowledge

5. Creation of an occupational health and safety plan

6. Digitization of all finance documents for data security

While all of the resulting discussions were deemed important, FSSI staff evaluated those that need to be prioritized and programmed; urgent actions and persons responsible were identified. As an offshoot of the workshop, the Development Services, Knowledge Management, Advocacy and Communications (KMAC), and the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) units held another working session where they reviewed and established common understanding on processes in the delivery of FSSI’s development services and drafted standard work operating procedures.

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Building Better in the New Normal

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Newsletter

Chairperson’s Message

Mr. Norman Joseph “Oman” Jiao

FSSI is on CNN Philippines

Newsletter, What's New in FSSI

COVID-19 and Women’s Economic Participation

What Previous Recessions and Pandemics Tell Us

Women and COVID-19

Post-COVID-19: Risks and Opportunities

Newsletter, What's New in FSSI

FSSI to Extend COVID-19 Business Rehabilitation Loan to Social Enterprise Partners

Newsletter

Letter from the Executive Director

Building Better in the New Normal

Sixto Donato C. Macasaet

Newsletter

Chairperson’s Message

Chairperson’s Message

Norman Joseph Jiao

Helping Farmers Feed Families During COVID-19

Helping farmers who feed us

Opportunities ahead

Newsletter

Letter from the Executive Director

FSSI Shifts Focus from Area- to Commodity-Based Value Chains

DA Launches Loan Programs for Youth, Agri-Fishery Enterprises