Aboitiz Group underscores MSMEs transformation at Sustainability Summit
Prosperity Pillar lead Aboitiz Group, represented by AEV First Vice President and Chief Reputation and Sustainability Officer Ginggay Hontiveros, shared pillars interventions to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) transform to become competitive, resilient, and digital entrepreneurs.
Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) play a key role in the economy and society, but are the most vulnerable to the challenges brought about by a volatile environment, as the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have shown. That is why for 2022, its 4th Sustainability Summit, the UN Global Compact (UNGC), through its local network Global Compact Network Philippines (GCNP), in cooperation with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), is focused on the theme “Scaling Up the 10-in-10 Agenda for MSME Recovery and Resilience”.
On Tuesday, November 22, the Summit delved straight into presentations and panel discussions that highlighted best practices and the progress plans of the 10-in-10 Agenda to support MSMEs. The UNGC’s 10-in-10 Agenda involves 10 focus areas for MSMEs to be undertaken in 10 years, from 2021 to 2031. These focus areas are divided into three work streams: People, Prosperity, and Planet, with the Prosperity Pillar led by the Aboitiz Group.
During the summit, Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) First Vice President and Chief Reputation and Sustainability Officer Ginggay Hontiveros stressed that the goal of the Prosperity Pillar is to help MSMEs transform and become competitive, resilient, sustainable, and innovative entrepreneurs through equitable and inclusive approaches for their long-term growth and development.
“To achieve this goal, we need to provide them with platforms, technologies, capability training, and access to markets and financial institutions to help them during this challenging time,” said Hontiveros.
RESOURCE SPEAKERS. Aboitiz Equity Ventures First Vice President and Chief for Reputation and Sustainability Ginggay Hontiveros (right-most) represents the Aboitiz Group at UNGC’s 2022 Sustainability Summit, underscoring the values of MSMEs to be resilient, sustainable, and to be innovative entrepreneurs for the future. With her are co-speakers (from left) Unilever Philippines and Southeast Asia Sustainable Business Senior Manager Rondell Torres, and GUAVA Amenities Pte. Ltd. Director Gabriel Tan.
Illustrating the opportunities technology can provide to MSMEs, Hontiveros shared the Aboitiz Group’s Biyaheng Digiskarte mentoring program and model as best practices that would help MSMEs recover and remain resilient.
“‘Digiskarte’ was coined to highlight the disruptions in all industries that happened in the digital space. Therefore, to adjust the strategies and tactics to optimize the digital platforms and spaces is our way forward, our diskarte. Digiskarte is using digital tools, approaches and innovations in doing business,” Hontiveros explained.
Alongside the Aboitiz Group, the Prosperity Pillar involves collaborative efforts with co-lead SM Investments Corporation, and fellow member companies Philippine Marketing Association, Nestlé Philippines, Unilever, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation, ADEC Innovators, and Subic International Management and Consultancy.
“Let us all act collectively to help MSMEs recover losses from this pandemic and be resilient over time. Through our strategic and collaborative synergies as ecosystem stakeholders working together, we will be able to scale up our tested business cases to create meaningful and impactful approaches to recovery and resiliency building for them,” said Hontiveros, sending to the audience of like-minded changemakers a call-to-action. #
