creativity, innovation, and resourcefulness and help build resilient, adaptable communities.

Most importantly, social enterprises close the inequality gap by ensuring that profits earned are redistributed back to the community. In the Philippines the 30,000-strong social enterprise sector has filed the Poverty Reduction Through Social Entrepreneurship (PRESENT) Bill. It has four major components: 1) recognition of SEs as partners in poverty-reduction through social entrepreneurship (PRESENT Program); 2) the eligibility of social enterprises; 3) support programs for social enterprises, and; 4) incentives and benefits. In order for us to uphold our MDG gains and upscale our povertyreduction efforts, we need to strengthen the role of social enterprises in empowering the poor and helping us meet our development agenda. In other countries in Europe, Australia, and Asia, a variety of national policies have recognized the contribution of social enterprises in address important social objectives. In this light, we look at the social enterprise policy of the United Kingdom as a way of understanding the place of social enterprises in economic development and how this role is being supported by the government. We also review the experiences of social enterprises in the Philippines in order to draw and help advance an appropriate framework and enabling environment for the development of the social enterprise sector in the country.#
The Office of Senator Bam Aquino IV Tel. No.: (632) 552-6732 5th Floor, Philippine Senate, Pasay City Committee on Trade, Commerce & Entrepreneurship LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE SUPPORT SERVICE C Tel. Nos. (632) 552-6601 loc. 3305, (632) 552-6820 Email: kalakal_info@yahoo.com THE OFFICE OF SENATOR BAM AQUINO IV

Republic of the Philippines CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES

SENATE
Pasay City

COMMITTEE ON TRADE, COMMERCE & ENTREPRENEURSHIP WITH BEYOND 2015 * VSO BAHAGINAN FOUNDATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY (FSSI) PHILIPPINE SOCIAL ENTERPRISE NETWORK (PHILSEN) PHILIPPINE RURAL RECONSTRUCTION MOVEMENT (PRRM) FAIR TRADE ALLIANCE (FTA) * PHILIPPINE LEGISLATORS' COMMITTEE ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT (PLCPD) PRESENT COALITION

Present

Creating a Supportive Environment for Social Enterprises: An Imperative for an Inclusive and Sustainable Development Agenda (A Forum on Philippine and UK Experiences and Challenges)
February 20, 2014 Thursday 9:30 am 1:00 pm Sen. Laurel Rm. Philippine Senate, Pasay City

PROGRAMME
9:30- 10:00 10:00 10:10 Registration Opening Remarks & Introduction of Guests Office of Senator Bam Aquino IV Social Enterprises and the Post-MDG Agenda Lou Gargarita, Secretariat Beyond 2015 National Hub The Role of Social Enterprises in Poverty Reduction and the PRESENT Bill Dr. Lisa Dacanay, President Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia Open Forum (Coffee) UK Social Enterprise Policy: Context, Government Support and Directions Rt. Hon. Lord Jack McConnell Open Forum Opportunities and Challenges in Financing for SEs Mark Ruiz, Co-Founder Hapinoy Procurement and SEs Peter Hammerle, Board Member Foundation for These Abled Open Forum Closing Remarks Jay Lacsamana Executive Director Foundation for a Sustainable Society and Co-Convenor PRESENT Coalition (Lunch will be served)

10:10 10:15

Creating a Supportive Environment for Social Enterprises: An Imperative for an Inclusive and Sustainable Development Agenda
A Forum on Philippine and UK Experiences and Challenges

10:15 -10:35

Overview
Despite the success of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in mobilizing governments, civil society organizations, the private sector, and financial institutions to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development by the year 2015, inequality remains pervasive and makes the poor more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and weak governance. This seething inequality, when placed in a context of fragile ecosystems [..1] and weak public infrastructure, increases the individual vulnerabilities of the poor. Moreover, it challenges our collective capacity as a nation to effectively mitigate the impacts of climate change. The Philippineswhich ranks third globally among 173 countries

10:35 10:50 10:50 - 11:10

11:10 -11:25 11: 25-11:40

11:40-12:55

11:55-12:30 12:30-12:40

most prone to disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes, and tsunamishas demonstrated how a serious rethinking of poverty reduction and economic development can empower the poor and help make communities more sustainable. Here, Social Enterprises have been instrumental in developing the income and capacities of the poor. As for-profit enterprises with a social mission of reducing poverty, social enterprises nurture