QUEZON CITY'S FIRST SOCIAL SOLIDARITY ECONOMY ENGAGEMENT FORUM: A VISION OF SOLIDARITY INTO REALITY

 

Photos from PAISD/Quezon City Government

Representatives from 31 social entrepreneur (SE) groups and 8 supporting organizations have committed to turn a vision of solidarity into reality at the first Social Solidarity Economy Engagement Forum. The event, conducted by Quezon City Public Employment Service Office (PESO), took place at the Quezon City Executive Lounge, High Rise Building, Quezon City Hall last April 21, 2023.

The concept of SSE

Social solidarity economy (SSE) refers to economic practices that focus on social profitability over solely financial gains. Anyone involved is such activities is encouraged to actively participate in making decisions. Given SSE’s democratic and inclusive nature, it has been touted as a way to uphold social justice and give a voice to vulnerable and marginalized sectors. Similarly, SE’s are entrepreneurs whose economic ventures set out to solve a problem and focus on social and environmental development as opposed to purely financial profits.

Dr Benjamin Quiñones, founder of the Asian Solidarity Economy Council, described SSE as returning ethics and values to economics, pointing to the modern business world’s heavy focus on financial gain over everything. “Sa pinag-aralan natin sa economics, walang ethics doon,” he said.

“Palagi nating pinag-uusapan ang enterprise, [but] we don’t talk about economy,” he added, explaining the connection of enterprises and economy by likening enterprises to trees, and economy as a whole to a forest. In Dr Quiñones’ analogy, enterprises that did not consider beyond their own financial gains only focused on their own tree and left the forest as a whole to suffer. “Without a forest, you can never have an economy na sustainable,” he said, emphasizing the importance of enterprises considering the bigger picture beyond purely financial gain.

Dr Quiñones stressed that there was no need to force the creation of new enterprises for the sake of SSE, however. “Itong pag-promote natin ng SSE, hindi tayo magke-create ng bagong organization, [dahil] andiyan na sila. We don’t have to organize [new groups], we need to inculcate the values and ethics of social solidarity economy [into existing ones].”

Investing in SSE

Meanwhile, Mr Sixto Donato Macasaet, executive director of Foundation for a Sustainable Society, Inc (FSSI), explained the importance of investing in SE’s to get to SSE. “With investment, tinutulangan ang social enterprises. And sa pamamagitan ng social enterprises na ito ay makikinabang ang mahihirap at marginalized sectors,” he said, referencing the many ways SE’s can help communities, including their services and products, giving jobs and raising awareness.

As part of an organization that invests in SE’s, Mr Macasaet pointed out the various green flags investors should look for, namely a balance between financial, social, and environmental gains. “Mahalaga ang profit para maituloy [ang gawain ng enterprise], pero hindi lang ‘yon. Mahalaga din ang kalikasan at ang tao,” he said, echoing Dr Quiñones’ sentiments.

In terms of people, Mr Macasaet noted the importance of implementing SSE’s inclusive nature. “Gusto po naming makita na magkaroon ng mga empowered communities. Tinitignan namin ang partisipasyon ng mga miyembro, empleyado at komunidad sa pagpapatakbo ng enterprise.” he said, further adding that FSSI also took notice of what SE’s did to empower women and progress their roles in development.

He further emphasized the importance of ensuring enterprises did their job to help the planet. “Nagko-comply ba sa basic environmental laws and other applicable regulations? Mayroon ba silang good environmental practices?”

The green impact

Dr Rene Ofreneo, author of Green Jobs and Green Skills in a Brown Philippine Economy, outlined the major environmental issues faced by the world today, and how social justice could help solving these.

Among these, he talked about climate change, and how the brunt of it is affecting the world’s leading crop producers; the current “poverty” of learning and education, and how the Philippines is slowly being left behind by how quickly technology changes; a potential food crisis, with the coming of El Nino later this year; and political mistrust.

In terms of helping deal with these problems, Dr Ofreneo highlighted the importance of meaningful action at grassroots level. “Pangunahan natin. The challenge for Quezon City LGU [is] instituting a green transformation program based on people-public partnership,” he said. “The challenge for organized communities and concerned businesses [is] mobilizing in support of people-oriented green transformation of the economy.”

He also noted the importance of actively involving concerned communities, as is the core of SSE. “There must be a just transition, makatarungang transition. Maganda man ang layunin mo, kung hindi involved ang tao, hindi po maganda [ang resulta],” he said.

Appropriately, three SE’s whose goals involved a positive green impact brought their solidarity pitches for their respective organizations to the audience, namely: Mr Gary Ayuste, founder of Beengo Farm; Mr Ramiro Tinio, President of Aniban ng Magsasakang Nakikisakahan; and Ms Rowena Faith Almeniana, founder of Nature’s Creation.

The event concluded on a commitment ceremony and a solidarity tour of QC Hall’s Joy of Urban Farming area.