Ayala Land, BPI Foundation launches Second Sinag Sari-Sari Social Enterprise Store

Ayala Corporation Chairman, Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, led the formal inauguration at Glorietta of the second Sinag Sari-Sari Social Enterprise Store.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, JAZA (third from right) was joined by BPI Foundation Executive Director Owen Cammayo, Ayala Land Director and Alagang AyalaLand Adviser Tony Aquino, BPI President and CEO and BPI Foundation Vice Chairman TG Limcaoco, Bayan Academy Chairman and President Professor Jay Bernardo, Ayala Land President and CEO Bobby Dy, and BPI Foundation Chairman Gerry Ablaza.

This project is a joint initiative of Ayala Land through Alagang Ayala Land and BPI Foundation under its Sinag program that aims to nurture and empower the social enterprise sector through capacity building, financial support, and market access.

Following the first Sinag Sari-Sari Social Enterprise Store in TriNoma last year, Glorietta hosts 19 Sinag social enterprises with products inclusive of eco-friendly items, locally-produced shoes, bags and home accessories, and many more.

Alagang AyalaLand is a community engagement program focused on generating livelihood and jobs through SEs, providing disaster relief to surrounding communities, and promoting a sustainable environment. Glorietta is one of 32 Ayala Malls with Alagang AyalaLand Centers. This program supports more than 1,100 SEs and impacting over 1,000 families.

“This partnership with BPI Foundation and Bayan Academy is special. I feel that we’re going to have the right formula to ensure the success of the social enterprises,” said Bobby O. Dy, Ayala Land President and CEO.

BPI Foundation, the social development arm of BPI, and its implementing partner, Bayan Academy organized the participating Sinag merchants. Sinag is the Foundation’s flagship program that empowers social enterprises as they address the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit. This partnership with Alagang AyalaLand is an enhancement of the Sinag program that started last year to provide market access to social enterprises.

“At BPI, we envision a better Philippines, one that is financially inclusive and sustainable. And we believe that supporting the budding social enterprise sector is crucial to our aspiration,” said BPI President and CEO TG Limcaoco. “For eight years now, through our social development arm, BPI Foundation, we have been supporting social entrepreneurs — a special breed of business innovators who pursue not only profit, but also help protect our planet and provide a livelihood to people in need, through the BPI Sinag program.”

Bayan Academy, a social development group that supports SEs through capacity building programs, provides MBA-like training to ensure that business owners under Sinag Sari-Sari are equipped with the necessary skills to sustain the business.

“This 3-way collaboration on social enterprise will lead to other things. I’m sure the AyalaMalls will continue to spread this throughout the country. Entrepreneurs really are the building blocks of our economy in every way so for us to be able to do some small part to help is just a pleasure,” said Ayala Corporation Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala in his key message.