Casiño: Government should support social enterprises
BAYAN Muna Party-list Rep. Teodoro “Teddy” Casiño yesterday stressed the need to pass a law strengthening and promoting social enterprises.
The senatorial candidate said social enterprises--businesses with a social mission such as improving the lives of the marginalized and caring for the environment--can help reduce poverty.
Instead of spending billions to give doleouts to the poor, the National Government should support social enterprises to alleviate poverty, said Casiño.
He spoke during the general assembly of the Philippine Cooperative Central Fund Federation yesterday in Lapu-Lapu City.
Casiño said the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program has failed to reduce poverty.
The program grants cash incentives to poor families but they have to meet certain conditions such as sending their children to school and visiting health centers regularly.
Casiño said the poverty rate in the country has not changed since 2006.
Advantages
Last year, Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tañada III filed House Bill 6085, or the Magna Carta for Social Enterprises.
Casiño, chair of the House committee on small business and entrepreneurship development, said the bill was not passed in the 15th Congress because of certain contentious provisions.
Most cooperatives qualify as social enterprises, said Casiño, who urged yesterday’s participants to elect candidates who will support the bill in the next Congress.
If passed, the law will grant tax incentives to businesses that qualify as social enterprises.
It will put in place support mechanisms such as marketing assistance from the government.
The proposed law also mandates government agencies to procure goods and services from social enterprises.
The congressman said social enterprises are an alternative to the dominant economic system that “is prone to crisis.”
Primary stakeholder
“We need a more just, equitable and sustainable way to run the economy,” he said.
The primary stakeholder of a social enterprise, Casiño said, should be the poor.
“The goal of a social enterprise is not simply to make money but to uplift the people and the community from poverty through sustainable economic activities,” he said.
Casiño said another element of a social enterprise is environmental sustainability.
He said only the United Kingdom, Italy and South Korea have laws on social enterprises.
The law will complement the Philippine Cooperative Code, said Casiño. “The social enterprises law will be a big help for the development of cooperatives and similar endeavors,” he said.