With the theme “Progress that Resonates: Advancing Communities through Social Enterprise Financing,” the Foundation for a Sustainable Society, Inc. (FSSI) gathered its members and partners for its 36th General Assembly (GA) on May 27 to 28, 2025. The two-day event served as a space to reflect on FSSI’s shared work with social enterprises across the country especially those led by women and rooted in agriculture and to chart a collective path forward in building inclusive, sustainable communities.
Learning Visit to Partner Social Enterprises
The GA opened with a learning visit to two of FSSI’s long-standing partner social enterprises in Nueva Ecija: the Cooperative Enterprise for True Economic Reform (CENTER) in Guimba and Kilusang Lima para sa Lahat Multi-Purpose Cooperative (K5 COOP) in Santo Domingo.
At CENTER Coop, participants joined a sharing session where Chairperson Mr. Catalino Obinario Jr. presented the cooperative’s background, programs, and role in supporting local farmers through rice value chain development. An open forum followed, allowing FSSI members to engage more deeply with CENTER’s work and partnership with FSSI. The visit included a guided tour of CENTER’s rice milling and storage facilities, giving participants a closer look at its day-to-day operations.
.
The learning visit continued at K5 COOP, where Chairperson Dr. Elenita B. Jampil and General Manager Guiller Bacsa welcomed participants and shared the cooperative’s history, growth, and enterprise strategies. Bacsa discussed how K5 brings business synergy to life through its various enterprises. The session highlighted success stories, key milestones, real-world challenges, and practical advice for cooperatives aiming to scale and sustain operations. This was followed by an open forum with K5 leaders and staff. Participants also toured K5 COOP’s facilities to better understand how its integrated operations support the farming community.
.
Learning Session on Women and Agriculture
On May 28, FSSI hosted a learning session titled “Women and the Future of Agriculture in the Philippines: Insights and Lessons from the Field.” The session brought together development practitioners, researchers, and social enterprise leaders to discuss women’s roles in agriculture and how social investments can help close gender gaps in the sector.
.
FSSI Chairperson Elvin Ivan Y. Uy of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) opened the session. FSSI Partnership Manager Ednie Luceño-Casiller shared lessons from the Investing in Women (IW) Project, emphasizing how co-investments and Gender Lens Investing (GLI) are contributing to the growth of women-led social enterprises.
.
The panel discussion, moderated by FSSI Assistant Auditor Joselita “Josie” Cardona, featured Ms. Liza Mae Lacamento, General Manager of Kisandal MPC, Mr. Jun Quililan Jr., President of New Rural Bank of San Leonardo, and Dr. Agnes Quisumbing of the International Food Policy Research Institute. The panelists shared grounded insights on financing, empowerment, and gender equity in agricultural development.
.
FSSI Trustee Agnes Bolanos closed the session by highlighting the need to continue planting the seeds of inclusion and sustainability through partnerships and shared action.
Business Meeting and Institutional Updates
.
In the afternoon, FSSI held its formal business meeting. Chairperson Uy presented the 2024 performance report, noting that the Foundation had grown into a one-billion-peso enterprise by the end of 2024, with a comprehensive income of PHP 53.7 million, up from PHP 8.1 million in 2023.
FSSI’s development portfolio increased by 10% to PHP 312 million, with 25 new project approvals and 47 active partners by year-end. Women social enterprises (WSEs) comprised 81% of partners and accounted for 84% of FSSI’s total portfolio. Under the IW Project, supported by the Australian Government, FSSI backed 18 WSEs, with 67% of decision-makers being women.
The report also highlighted that more than a quarter of FSSI’s investments were in sustainable agriculture, supporting crop production, financing, and trading. As of December 2024, 20 partners had set self-determined triple bottom line (3BL) targets, with three achieving their goals and 11 showing progress.
Chairperson Uy also formally concluded his term, thanking FSSI members and staff for their support and reaffirming the organization’s commitment to its mission. “FSSI is grounded, stable, and unwavering in its purpose and strength,” he said.
As FSSI enters a new strategic period and approaches its 30th anniversary, it moves forward with a clearer focus on deepening impact and supporting enterprises that create long-term, measurable change in communities. The work continues with shared responsibility, grounded strategies, and commitment to the triple bottom lines of people, planet, and profit.
