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Resilience of Women Entrepreneurs in Mindanao and the Impact of Access to Finance and Digital Technologies
No full textExecutive Summary
This report examines the resilience of women nano- entrepreneurs in Mindanao and explores the impact of access to finance and digital technologies on their business sustainability. Utilizing data from the Social Enterprise Development Partnerships Inc. (SEDPI) and focus group discussions (FGDs), the study identifies key challenges and coping mechanisms employed by women-led nano- enterprises. The findings provide actionable insights for policymakers and microfinance institutions (MFIs) to design targeted interventions that strengthen the sustainability of these enterprises, particularly in the face of economic and environmental shocks. Women-led nano-enterprises in Mindanao typically operate informally, with assets ranging from PhP3,000 to PhP1 50,000, and are often unregistered. The entrepreneurs engage in various income-generating activities such as retail, food processing, farming, and service-oriented businesses. These enterprises are largely driven by necessity rather than opportunity, as most women start their businesses due to limited employment prospects rather than a strategic market advantage. Balancing household responsibilities with business operations remains a persistent challenge, particularly in times of economic hardship.
The adoption of digital technology has been a transformative factor for some women entrepreneurs, allowing them to diversify income streams and expand market reach through e-commerce, mobile payments, and social media platforms. However, many continue to face barriers to digital adoption, including limited digital literacy, unreliable internet connectivity, and the high costs associated with digital transactions. While mobile wallets like GCash have gained popularity, cash transactions remain the preferred mode due to accessibility concerns. The reopening of the economy post-pandemic has resulted in a shift back to physical transactions, though some digital adopters continue to leverage technology for business efficiency. The resilience of women nano-entrepreneurs is constantly tested by economic and natural disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic, typhoons, and earthquakes, all of which have severely disrupted business operations. To cope with these challenges, women entrepreneurs rely on various strategies such as utilizing savings, seeking financial aid, availing loans from MFIs, and engaging in community- based insurance systems like damayan. Reducing household expenses and finding additional income sources are also common survival mechanisms. However, recovery is not uniform and depends largely on financial access, market resilience, and household support structures.
Access to financial services remains a critical issue, with MFls serving as the primary source of financial support for women entrepreneurs. Formal financial inclusion remains low, particularly for women, as many struggle with the high costs and eligibility restrictions of government social insurance programs such as SSS, Pag-IBIG, and PhilHealth. There is a strong need for financial products that integrate disaster mitigation measures and flexible savings schemes to ensure business continuity during crises.
To enhance the resilience of women nano-entrepreneurs, several policy and institutional interventions are recommended. Policymakers should focus on strengthening social protection programs by improving childcare support, coordinating social protection schemes, and easing access to government social insurance programs. Disaster mitigation strategies should include incorporating disaster coverage in government social insurance, streamlining
aid distribution, and investing in resilient infrastructure. Additionally, advancing digital and financial inclusion through enhanced financial literacy, improved digital infrastructure, and localized online marketplaces will help bridge the economic gap for women entrepreneurs.
Microfinance institutions play a crucial role in providing innovative financial products that integrate disaster mitigation strategies. These include affordable and fast-processed insurance schemes that cover disasters, sickness, and accidents, as well as flexible savings products that enhance financial resilience. Micro housing loans and financing options for digital tools should also be prioritized to support sustainable business growth. Furthermore, positioning MFls as conduits for government services can expand access to social protection and financial security for nano-entrepreneurs.
Ultimately, this study underscores the need for a holistic approach to strengthening the resilience of women-led nano-enterprises. Improving financial inclusion, expanding digital access, and integrating disaster risk management into economic policies are essential steps toward ensuring that women entrepreneurs in Mindanao can build sustainable businesses. Through targeted financial products and enhanced collaboration between government agencies and MFIs, these entrepreneurs can be better equipped to navigate economic shocks and contribute to long-term economic recovery and growth
Pope Francis on Forced Migration: A Pastoral of Mercy and its Relevance in the Indonesian Context
No full textDealing with refugees, was the late Pope Francis’ legacy, during his pontificate, both as the leader of the Catholic Church and a global figure. This article reviews Francis’ pastoral approach of mercy, especially in his concern and advocacy for migrants and refugees, as expressed through his gestures, statements, thoughts, proposals, and policies. Along with issues of global inequality and ecological damage, Francis believed that forced migration can only be addressed through joint efforts based on recognizing human dignity, solidarity, the need for participation, as well as connectivity and inclusivity that encompasses the entire human family. This article then highlights the impact of this stance on the responses of societies and national leaders and considers its relevance in the context of Indonesia
Living the Coast: On Property and Possession, the Netherlands and Indonesia, and the Free Sea
Full text linkWhen Sigmund Freud visited the Netherlands in the 1920s, he oversaw the Dutch landscape while travelling by rowing boats, carriages, and on foot. The reclamation of the Zuyderzee especially made an impression. He concluded that this drive for culture to control nature was similar to how the Ego wanted to control the Id. Of course, this was not a recent phenomenon in the Netherlands. During two earlier visits (in 1908 and 1910), Freud visited the major museums of the Netherlands where he was especially interested in the landscape painters of the seventeenth century. Landscape is actually one of those Dutch words that was adopted in many other languages. Embodying the scaped land, or, exploring the ways in which nature is scaped by men, painters like van Jacob van Ruisdael, Albert Cuyp, and Rembrandt van Rijn, may be seen as part of a particularly Dutch tradition of engineering that also included creative thinkers like Simon Stevin, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeck, and Christaan Huygens. The Dutch not only felt the need to control the sea (ergo the unknown, the Id) in the Netherlands but also in their former colonies, in particular, Indonesia. Overcoding its islands and seas with their ideas of control had major consequences for how the land and the sea could be lived. Nowadays, we need to imagine a life otherwise. With Amitav Ghosh, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, and especially the stories and songs of those who live at the coast, we need not to control but to understand the sea again. It is time, once more, to understand the ways all the organic and non-organic forms of life transcode themselves into each other, resonate together, and offer us the sonorous hum of life