Social Enterprise Development for Communities

As part of its institutional commitment to advocate for social entrepreneurship among higher education institutions and organizations, De La Salle University, through the Lasallian Social Enterprise for Economic Development (LSEED) Center, has been implementing social enterprise programs at the national and regional levels. Its efforts have grown ever since the transition of LSEED into a center in AY 2020-2021 from a program component in 2015. 

Its advocacy is driven by a shared commitment to further building the structures and institutions that support the different segments of social enterprises. In AY 2023-2024 alone, the Center successfully engaged over 8000 stakeholders across 12 programs and 35 initiatives. In terms of social enterprise portfolio, a total of 70 social enterprises/groups representing over 350 social entrepreneurs are now part of LSEED nationwide. These social enterprises localize the United Nations Sustainable Development Growth and promote community development. It is worth noting that an independent external evaluation of LSEED Center’s programs revealed a highly satisfactory (highest) result in 5 areas. The evaluation methodology was based on the criteria developed for the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) revealed. Moreover, a recent profiling effort has revealed important and promising figures, highlighting SE sustainability and impact:

• Around 81.57% of social enterprises are already qualified for incubation and acceleration based on internationally recognized indicators.
• The completion, retention, and pilot success rates of three major social enterprise development programs of the Center are 100%. 
• Income-generating social enterprises as of October 2024 are 85%.
• The average asset of community-based social enterprises is now at 300,000+ with 1 SE reaching 3.1 million total assets, in Philippine Peso.

The Center also formalized a new partnership with a national government agency on micro, small, and medium enterprise development and hosted the 3rd year of #WeCAN International Research Colloquium 2024. Expansion efforts in 5 other Lasallian schools are ongoing, putting in place social enterprise programs with key stakeholders.

Once again, LSEED Center was recognized as SDG Initiative of the Year (1st runner-up) in the 2024 ACEEU Triple E Awards (Asia Pacific). This is a prestigious recognition dedicated to honoring outstanding initiatives within higher education that have demonstrated exceptional commitment and leadership in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This award celebrates initiatives that embody the principles of sustainability, encompassing environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and economic viability. The awarding ceremony took place at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Shah Alam i-City Malaysia on September 3, 2024, and was participated by 16 countries across Asia Pacific Region.

Links:

• Lasallian Social Entrepreneurship
• LSEED Center: 1st runner up for ACEEU Triple E Awards