NCR’s Women Startup Entrepreneurs Win Big in National Business Pitching Contest

Author: Shaira P. Rapisora Published: Jun. 27, 2023

Three women-led social enterprises from Metro Manila emerged among the country’s best at the Women-Helping-Women: Innovating Social Enterprises (WHWise) National Pitching Competition held on June 26, 2023, at the Bellevue Hotel in Alabang, Muntinlupa City. Making it to the roster of the top 20 companies are Hibla Textile Fabrics Wholesaling, Everything Green Trading and Consulting, and Dream Wide Awake (D’WA) Company.

Ms. Nice Marquez, visionary Founder and Director of Hibla Textile Fabrics Wholesaling, aptly named her company after the Filipino word for “fiber” since the company aims to create a platform for local weavers to highlight their creativity and dedication in the weaving industry. Hibla also strives to preserve and highlight the rich cultural value of Philippine textiles by producing sustainable items such as clothing, bags, home decorations, and accessories.

Three women-led social enterprises from Metro Manila emerged among the country’s best at the Women-Helping-Women: Innovating Social Enterprises (WHWise) National Pitching Competition held on June 26, 2023, at the Bellevue Hotel in Alabang, Muntinlupa City. Making it to the roster of the top 20 companies are Hibla Textile Fabrics Wholesaling, Everything Green Trading and Consulting, and Dream Wide Awake (D’WA) Company.

Ms. Nice Marquez, visionary Founder and Director of Hibla Textile Fabrics Wholesaling, aptly named her company after the Filipino word for “fiber” since the company aims to create a platform for local weavers to highlight their creativity and dedication in the weaving industry. Hibla also strives to preserve and highlight the rich cultural value of Philippine textiles by producing sustainable items such as clothing, bags, home decorations, and accessories.

Everything Green Trading and Consulting, led by its Founder and Chief Greenovator, Ms. Camille Rose D. Albarracin, also made it to the Top 20. Her enterprise is dedicated to manufacturing eco-lifestyle products in collaboration with partner communities. Gree-ne-las, the flagship product of the enterprise, is a groundbreaking Filipino brand of compostable slippers that serve as a greener alternative to traditional slippers. By using Gree-ne-las, hotels can reduce their environmental impact and become more sustainable businesses.

Completing the NCR roster is Dream Wide Awake (D’WA) Company, which is co-founded by Ms. Angela Duldulao-Regis. D’WA is a cafe and creatives social enterprise which offers beverages made from the finest and premium local ingredients sourced from various farms nationwide. The company’s unwavering commitment to sustainability serves as the enterprise’s core advocacy.

Each of the 20 winners in the WHWise National Pitching Competition received a Php 100,000 cash prize and a plaque of recognition. In addition, these companies will undergo a series of in-depth learning lab sessions and structured mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs and business leaders. This is aside from the opportunity of having their businesses technically validated by the Villgro Philippines and Bayan Innovation Group.

After these companies have completed their learning lab sessions and mentoring, they will submit a proposal for possible funding of about Php 5 million under the 2024 WHWise grant. This grant will enable women-led social enterprises to scale up their technology-based businesses through technology acquisition, research & development, technical assistance, and further mentoring.

The WHWise National Pitching Competition was organized by the DOST- Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD), in coordination with the DOST Regional Offices such as the DOST-NCR, to promote and support women-led social enterprises nationwide to create more impact and benefits to their respective communities.