First Gen Corporation (First Gen) is a renewable energy producer and a power generation subsidiary of the First Philippine Holdings Corporation (FPH). First Gen envisions to enhance its position as the leading world-class Filipino energy company by delivering cost-effective and reliable energy services to its customers. Part of their mission statement is to fulfill their social, environmental, and economic responsibilities to contribute to nation building and community development in the Philippines.
In line with its vision and mission statement, First Gen, in partnership with Bayan Academy, successfully delivered The Entrepreneurial Process and Social Enterprise Development: A Four-day Introductory Course on Social Entrepreneurship for First Gen CSR Officers. There were 22 participants who belonged to different positions and departments of First Gen. The course was a four-day learning module, which was held from July 31 to August 3, 2018. The first day was an Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship. The second day was about Opportunity Seeking, Screening, and Seizing. The third day included discussions on Operations Management. Finally, the last day included Human Resource and Financial Management. Days 1, 2, and 4 were held at the Rockwell Business Center in Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City. While Day 3 was a field trip to Kapwa Greens, a fully operational social enterprise situated in Calauan, Laguna.
First Gen CSR officers with Prof Marvin Beduya, Senior Fellow of Bayan Academy, during their field trip to Kapwa Greens, a fully operational social enterprise situated in Calauan, Laguna
The partnership came about because First Gen has discerned social enterprise development as a strategy for its various CSR programs. Actually, they had started their program in Pantabangan, and so, they wanted to figure out how to effectively push the same initiative to their other sites. To help First Gen in this process of developing its CSR programs, this four-day introductory course on social entrepreneurship and social enterprise development was developed and delivered. The specific objectives of the learning course were: to provide an overview of social entrepreneurship; to discuss the social entrepreneurship process of seeking, screening, and seizing opportunities; and finally, to provide experiential learning so the participants could better appreciate the theories behind the lectures. The facilitators who delivered the training sessions were: Dr. Eduardo A. Morato, Jr., chairman and president of Bayan Academy; and the following teaching fellows of Bayan Academy - Ms. Aji Espinoza, Mr. Jose Marvin Beduya, and Mr. Michael Benedict Lopez.
First Gen CSR officers with Dr. Eduardo A. Morato, Jr., Chairman and President of Bayan Academy
The program was purposively designed so that different teaching methods could be used by the facilitators, such as: lectures, case discussions, film viewing, and an experiential learning field trip to a fully operational social enterprise. The various learning methods did not only ensure the active participation of the participants but, more importantly, it allowed the participants to reflect on how they could directly apply the lessons for their budding social enterprise projects.
In one of Dr. Morato’s discussions, he advised the participants “to avoid and be watchful of being in the state of educated incapacity”. He said that in this state, we refuse to learn and move forward. On the contrary, he said the participants should allow themselves to dream and constantly develop their self-mastery skills. Dr. Morato also pointed out that learning to become an entrepreneur is the foundation and this precedes learning about social entrepreneurship. Finally, Dr. Morato concluded his day’s lecture by saying, “Even though your job is to do your CSR initiatives, keep in mind that you are the social entrepreneurs that will start off the social enterprises of your targeted beneficiaries. Remember, as they grow and the more they transact on their own, the better.”
Day 4, post program photo of all the participants with Mr. Michael Benedict Lopez, the day 4 facilitator, and Mr. Carlo Sagun, program director of CREST, TOP, and BEST units of Bayan Academy
The closing remarks and the giving of certificates of the participants were spearheaded and presented by Mr. Carlo S. Sagun, program director of CREST, TOP, and BEST units of Bayan Academy.