Gawad Madiskarte 2024 Honors the Passion and Resilience of Women Entrepreneurs

 Women, especially mothers, who are entrepreneurs have proven time and again that they have the passion and grit to make a difference in their families’ lives. 

 

“You work wonders in three different worlds: the world of home, your own personal growth, and the world of business. You're actually doing three times the work that men are doing,” said PLDT Chief Operating Officer Menardo “Butch” Jimenez, addressing the mompreneurs in the room during Gawad Madiskarte 2024 at Seda Hotel in BGC last October 19. 

 

This is the third awards ceremony that Madiskarte Moms PH (MMPH) and PLDT Home have staged since the founding of the group in 2020.

L-R): - Melissa Vergel de Dios, Chief Sustainability Officer, PLDT, Inc., Butch Jimenez, Chief Operating Officer, PLDT Inc., Stephanie Lee Morales, Diskarteng Angat (Start-up), Bianca Mateum, Diskarteng Eco-friendly (Scale-up), Ricca Cruz Del Rosario, Diskarteng Angat (Scale-up), Avon Tuazon Obedoza, Diskarteng May Puso (Start-up), MK Bertulfo, Diskarteng Digital and Diskarteng Homebiz, Alona Bazar Laylo, Diskarteng May Puso (Scale-up), Jenielyn P. Sicabalo, Entrepreneurial Spirit Award (Special Citation), Melissa Blanca Moscoso, Diskarteng Eco-friendly (Start-up) winners and Ms. Ermelita Valdeavilla, Chairperson of Philippine Commission on Women  

Jimenez added that the true winners are the moms, and that this year’s awardees have inspired many moms to become entrepreneurs “and eventually our whole country will benefit from what the Madiskarte Moms are doing.”

 

Now with 191,000 members in the community, MMPH has indeed come a long way from its founding during the pandemic. This year’s awards are focused on sustainable practices, a commitment PLDT shares.

Ms. Ermelita Valdeavilla, Chairperson, Philippine Commission on Women

 

 

“For us at PLDT, sustainability is not only caring for the environment, but it's also about gender empowerment. This is the embodiment of gender empowerment because it allows women not only to dream, but to take action and to make a difference in society,” said PLDT Chief Sustainability Officer Melissa Vergel De Dios.

 

One of the most admired women at last Saturday’s event was Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) Chairwoman Ermelita V. Valdeavilla. She highlighted that authentic women empowerment is about uplifting other women, and that being “madiskarte” holds so much power.

Butch Jimenez, Chief Operating Officer, PLDT Inc. 

 

“Madiskarte is a powerful word,” Valdeavilla said, and wondered out loud why there is not a single word in the English language that could approximate its meaning. “In English, it is translated as strategic, wise, smart, inventive, ingenious, resourceful, clever, witty, innovative, and proactive. Yes, it takes 10 English words to describe madiskarte.”

 

At last Saturday’s awards, eight women were highlighted as the embodiment of the word “madiskarte.”

 

Melissa Vergel De Dios, Chief Sustainability Officer, PLDT Inc.

Diverse businesses

Gawad Madiskarte 2024 received more than 100 applications, shortlisted 17 mompreneurs and their businesses, and awarded 8 mompreneurs in two main categories (Start-up and Scale-up) and three special awards.

 

This year’s panel of judges was composed of Butch Jimenez; Jonjon San Agustin, Executive Vice President for Marketing, SM Supermalls; Tweetie de Leon, mompreneur, owner of TdLG Designs; Angelica Chongco, owner of Mayumi Organics; Pia Hontiveros, broadcast journalist; and Annette Gozon-Valdes, President, GMA Films.

For this year’s Diskarteng Angat category, the winners are Stephanie Morales, who put up a self-portrait studio called Pixellab (Start-up); and Ricca Cruz del Rosario, who started HTP Clothing (Scale-up) simply from the desire to sell her own clothes, and now sells about 30,000 pieces of clothing a month.

 

For Diskarteng Eco-Friendly, the winners are Melissa Blanca Moscoso for Xavier & Xandrie Start-up, which uses discarded katsaor discarded flour sacks and turns them into bags; and Bianca Mateum of Isay Bags (Scale-up), which upcycles waste into bags and storage items.

 

For Diskarteng May-Puso, Avon Tuazon Obedoza opened Bahay Ugnayan Educational Services (Start-up), an after-school tutoring service that frees up moms’ time after work for more personal time with their families; and Alona Bazar Laylo, who put up Jobiba Baby Diapers and Wipes (Scale-up), a low-cost, high-quality brand of diapers.

 

All six women each received P100,000 in cash, Lalamove vouchers worth P10,000, and kitchen appliances from Tough Mama.

 

In the special awards category, Jenilyn P. Sicabalo won the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award for her business MP Nieva Flower Shop, which grows the abaca used for bouquet wraps. She won P50,000, Lalamove vouchers and Tough Mama products.

 

Meanwhile, MK Bertulfo, founder of FH Moms, won both the Diskarteng Digital and Diskarteng Homebiz awards. Her business helps women in MSMEs participate in the digital economy, providing training and education in conducting business online, setting up e-commerce platforms, and other digital strategies. She won a total of P100,000 for both awards, along with Lalamove vouchers and Tough Mama products.

 

Every mompreneur at Gawad Madiskarte, and those who are part of Madiskarte Moms' growing community, have shown bravery and perseverance in running their home businesses. Time and again, they've supported each other in the journey to growth and success.

 

Join the community on Facebook and visit madiskartemoms.ph.

 

Empowering Mompreneurs: PLDT Home Celebrates Innovation and Sustainability at Gawad Madiskarte 2024

 Filipino mothers are the role models the world needs. Not only are they caring, nurturing and resilient, they also bring communities together and embody the country’s spirit of innovation. When something is lacking, they find ways to make it whole; when they are constrained by their financial situation, they dig deep into their experiences to find solutions. 

They do all this with a smile as they share advice and encourage each other. These are the moms of Madiskarte Moms PH (MMPH), an online community of mom entrepreneurs helping women start their path to financial freedom. Founded during the pandemic when thousands of women lost their jobs, moms added another role to their name: mompreneur.

 

PLDT Home recognized from the outset that this movement was the future of entrepreneurship in the Philippines. Building empires from home—starting with micro-, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)—is the new way to financial independence as the platform lets mompreneurs showcase their ability to learn new skills and manage their roles as caregivers, teachers, and business owners.

 

Today, the community has 190,000 members, 450+ members turned brand affiliates, 150 recipients of business toolkits, over 24,900 trained mompreneurs, and 16 online masterclasses and webinars.

 

And so Gawad Madiskarte was born to celebrate the triumphs of Filipino mompreneurs, those who inspire not just their families but their communities through their creativity and hard work. The awards are supported by PLDT Home as part of its commitment to nation building and its purpose of inspiring innovation and meaningful connections.

 

Gawad Madiskarte 2024 is set for October 19 at Seda Hotel in BGC. It will award mompreneurs in three categories: Diskarteng Angat, Diskarteng Eco-Friendly and Diskarteng May-Puso in start-up and scale-up divisions. The panel of judges for this year's competition is a formidable lineup of industry leaders and experts, each bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. Their diverse backgrounds and accomplishments make them a truly distinguished panel. This panel is composed of Butch Jimenez, Chief Operating Officer, PLDT Inc.; Jonjon San Agustin, Executive Vice President for Marketing, SM Supermalls; Tweetie de Leon, owner of TdLG Designs; Angela Chongco, owner of Mayumi Organics; Pia Hontiveros, broadcast journalist; and Annette Gozon-Valdes, President, GMA Films.

 

Gawad Madiskarte 2024 puts the spotlight on mompreneurs who champion sustainability as business owners, whether it’s by leaving the least carbon footprint in their manufacturing process and operations, supporting local communities, or creating products that are part of the circular economy.

 

Nominees and prizes 

Six (6) mompreneurs can bring home the major prizes across three subcategories (Diskarteng Angat, Diskarteng Eco-Friendly, DiskartengMay-Puso) where each will receive ₱100,000. Two (2) winners across two subcategories (Diskarteng Digital, DiskartengHomebiz) will each receive ₱50,000, and all other finalists will each receive ₱25,000.

 

Also lending their support to the mompreneurs is delivery and logistics company Lalamove, which will provide ₱10,000 worth of Lalamove vouchers to the six (6) major winners; and ₱7,500 worth of Lalamove vouchers to two (2) special award winners. Mompreneurs can use these vouchers for their product deliveries and business operations that require courier services.  To make their home life easier and more fun in the kitchen, home and kitchen appliances brand Tough Mama will give all winners a Detachable Electric Griller and Plate; and Tough Mama Hand Mixer to all 18 finalists. 

 

On top of all these prizes is a beautiful trophy created by world-class sculptor Ram Mallari. Throughout his career, Mallari has brought sustainable art to a whole new level. His artworks are made from discarded metal and other materials, and given new life as he fashions them into provocative works of art. 

 

This year’s nominees for Diskarteng Angat are (start-up) Olivia’s Partyland, Pixellab Self Portrait Studio, Le Vourge Scents; (scale-up) MomiBigbig's Kitchen, Ulap Bedsheet, Love My Pajamies, HTP Clothing. For Diskarteng Eco-Friendly, the nominees are (start-up) Bloomingdale Collections, Bayong Pampanga, Xavier &Xandrie; (scale-up) MP Nieva’s Flower Company, OPC, Isay Bags. For Diskarteng May Puso, the nominees are  (start-up) Bounty Honey - Pure ,Raw,Wild from Mindanao, Isla PH Essentials, Bahay UgnayanEducational Services; (scale-up) Jobiba Baby Diaper and Wipes, FH Moms.

 

Using “waste,” not adding to it

Sustainability may be fashion’s biggest trend judging from the recent Fashion Week series in New York, London, Milan and Paris. In London especially, eBay and Vinted put on runway shows of preloved clothing and accessories, showing once again that with fashion’s cyclical nature, nothing really goes out of style.

 

A number of this year’s nominees recognize that fashion can be sustainable by upcycling materials and making use of “waste” to create something new and beautiful.  One nominee makes bayong bags embellished with PVC straps. Think Pretty Woman, but instead of going back to show them she had money, our heroine-slash-entrepreneur started experimenting on lowering the costs of PVC bags. And the rest is history.

 

Another nominee focuses on middle-class women who prefer reusable, earth-friendly items that would last them a long time. The company upcycles factory-reject materials into bags. It’s a family business that started from scraps of venetian blinds that their dad would bring home from the factory. What began as a home business in 2009 scaled up through bazaars and online shopping.

 

These women exemplify entrepreneurs that prioritize their social responsibility by adapting sustainable practices, local sourcing, and community engagement. Just what the world needs.

 

 

Be part of the future of entrepreneurship and this inspiring movement by joiningour Facebook group. 

 

Gawad Madiskarte 2024: A Renewed Commitment to Sustainability in This Year's Awards

 

Madiskarte Moms PH (MMPH)’s Gawad Madiskarte powered by PLDT Home, the awards that pay tribute to mompreneurs, is back! This year, MMPH is putting the spotlight not only on hardworking and successful moms, but also on businesses that champion sustainability.

 

In a time when the Philippines is facing environmental and economic challenges, Gawad Madiskarte is looking for mompreneurs that are leading by example, demonstrating that sustainable business practices are not only possible but also profitable. By supporting and celebrating these visionary women, Gawad Madiskarte hopes to inspire other entrepreneurs and businesses to create a brighter, more sustainable future for all.

According to a report by earth.org, some of the pressing environmental issues in the Philippines in 2024 are plastic pollution and marine pollution. The country is highly dependent on single-use plastics that generate an annual 2.7 million tons of waste, a problem that the World Bank calls “staggering,” coupled with an insufficient waste management system. The World Bank also reports that an estimated 20% of this plastic waste end up in Philippine waters, endangering marine biodiversity.

 

This year’s major awards are Diskarteng Eco-Friendly, for the mompreneur who is leading the charge in environmental responsibility and pioneering green solutions with vision and progress; Diskarteng Angat, for the mompreneur who achieves exceptional sales growth in her business while leading the way in sustainability; and Diskarteng May Puso, for the mompreneur who creates a positive change by fulfilling her social responsibility to her communities.

 

There will be two winners per major award. One winner will come from the Start-Up category and the other one from the Scale Up category. For the Start Up category, the mompreneur’s business should be running for at least six months; for the Scale Up category, it should be running for at least 13 months with supporting documents such as a DTI and BIR permits. Owners must also have an online shop in any e-commerce platforms or social media accounts. 

 

Diskarteng Digital and Diskarteng Home Biz special awards will also be given. 

 

To join, fill out the Google Form with your answers and requirements.  Mompreneurs may access Gawad Madiskarte application form by joining the community. Submission of all entry forms starts on March 8, 2024, International Women’s Day. 

 

MMPH is an online community established to support and provide education, and business opportunities for Filipino mompreneurs., it boasts over 172,000 community membersand15,000 trained mompreneurs. 

 

In its advocacy to help and educate mompreneurs, MMPH has partnered with local and international brands. MMPH has also won various industry awards, such as the Silver Award from the Asia Pacific Stevie Awards, Grand Anvil, the highest PR award in the country, from the Public Relations Society of the Philippines, Gold Award for Best PR Program in Southeast Asia from the ASEAN PR  Network and the Prosperity Award from the UN Global Compact Network Philippines. 

 

For more information on MMPH and Gawad Madiskarte, visit madiskartemoms.ph.