This is a transcript of Vince Rapisura presentation on the “Resilience of Women Entrepreneurs in Mindanao and the Impact of Access to Finance and Digital Technologies” delivered on March 24, 2025. Download the study here. The study was conducted by the Ateneo Center for Social Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise Development Partnerships, Inc. (SEDPI) in partnership with the World Bank and Australian Aid, drawing on SEDPI longitudinal survey data (2020–2023) and focus group discussions in 2024 among women nano-entrepreneurs in Mindanao.

Good day everyone. Thank you for the opportunity to present the key findings of our report entitled “Resilience of Women Entrepreneurs in Mindanao and the Impact of Access to Finance and Digital Technologies.”
Focus on nanoenterprises

This study aims to understand how women nano-entrepreneurs in Mindanao cope with economic and environmental shocks—particularly the COVID-19 pandemic and a series of natural disasters—and how access to finance and digital tools affects their ability to recover and sustain their livelihoods.

The focus of the study is on nano-enterprises, which are the smallest type of microenterprises with asset sizes ranging from PhP3,000 to PhP150,000. These are usually unregistered and operated by women, do not have employees, and often driven by necessity rather than opportunity.

We used SEDPI longitudinal surveys conducted from 2020 to 2023, complemented by focus group discussions in 2024 in the same organization. The research sites are in Region XI and Region XIII, particularly in Agusan del Sur, Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur—areas where women informal self-employment is high, but formal economic support is often limited.

Mindanao is the poorest island group in the country, with 34% of the population self-employed and a poverty incidence of 25%, much higher than the national average.

By comparing those who were able to bounce back versus those who struggled, we identified patterns of resilience, the role of gender, and the effectiveness of interventions like microfinance and digital technology adoption.

Ultimately, this report provides actionable insights for government and microfinance institutions to design policies and programs that strengthen the resilience of women-led nano-enterprises. It offers recommendations in four key areas: access to finance, digital inclusion, disaster mitigation, and social protection—all through a gender lens.

Our respondents were mostly women—around 88% to 90% across the four years of surveys and 100% in the FGDs, with an average age of 42 for the surveys and 51 for the FGDs. Most were married, although a significant portion were live-in partners or widows—especially in the FGDs. When it comes to education, both survey and FGD participants had lower educational attainment than the national average.

Profile of nanoenterprises in the study

The dominant income-generating activities, or IGAs, were in retail, vending or trade comprising about 74%, covering livelihoods like sari-sari stores, food vending, and online selling. 31% are in food processing, 26% in farming, and smaller groups in services, manufacturing, and animal raising. Only 4% are engaged in private employment.

Interestingly, 71% of the women handled more than one IGA, reflecting a strong entrepreneurial drive. Only 5% had no IGA, showing the deep economic engagement of these women. Despite this, 78% were not the primary breadwinners, often relying on their spouse’s income.

Motivation for entrepreneurship

These women are necessity entrepreneurs. Their main motivations include: supporting their families, providing for their children’s education, surviving economic hardship, managing household finances, and addressing the lack of employment options.

There was no mention of starting a business out of a desire to innovate or seize a market opportunity. Instead, entrepreneurship served as a practical response to daily survival needs.

Gender and labor trends

We also saw gender-related patterns. During the pandemic, many women’s businesses became the economic fallback for households. But by 2023, as face-to-face classes resumed, many women stopped or reduced their IGAs to care for their children. This shows how household responsibilities continue to affect women’s economic participation.

Men, on the other hand, resumed formal employment as the economy reopened. This dynamic caused shifts in household financial roles, reinforcing the need to recognize and address the double burden faced by women in business and at home.These findings reveal a complex picture of entrepreneurial resilience, shaped by necessity, limited resources, and strong family obligations.

Access to finance and digital services

Let’s now look at how digital technology has affected the resilience and business performance of women nano-entrepreneurs.

Digital tools provided many advantages such as reaching more customers, enhancing communication, and showcasing products—particularly during the pandemic. Despite some decline in use after the economy reopened, some women continued using digital platforms for efficiency and market access.

Survey data shows increasing access to digital technology. Around 73% own mobile phones,
but only 58% use smartphones—with the rest using basic phones that are better for calls but not for internet. Only 4% own laptops, and all devices were Android.

Facebook and Messenger remained the most used platforms, especially among women. However, some women share their social media accounts with younger relatives, showing limited personal digital control. Also, the use of mobile wallets is not a norm among FGD respondents

Still, barriers persist. These include weak internet signals, lack of mobile load, and general unfamiliarity with digital tools. This limited access and usage, especially as people returned to face-to-face transactions.

Usage of platforms like Shopee, Lazada, Facebook, and Messenger for buying and selling peaked in 2021 but declined by 2023—except for Shopee. Mobile wallets, especially GCash, gained traction during the pandemic but declined in use post-lockdown.

Rural participants preferred cash transactions because they are easier, don’t require connectivity, and avoid transaction fees.

There’s a clear divide between digital and non-digital adopters. Non-digital adopters tend to come from poorer communities and rely on traditional, labor-intensive activities like farming, sari-sari stores, food vending, and services like laundry. They usually have high school education or lower, and often depend on their husband’s income.

In contrast, digital adopters combine traditional businesses with online selling, digital marketing, and e-commerce. They engage in aquaculture, direct selling, manufacturing crafts, and even online delivery services. These women often have some college education and contribute more significantly to household income.

Digital adopters gained broader market access, diversified their income, and managed risks better. But barriers like poor connectivity, low digital literacy, and high transaction costs continue to limit widespread digital transformation.

Experience of economic shocks

Let’s now turn to how women nano-entrepreneurs in Mindanao cope with disasters and economic shocks.

The Philippines ranks as the most disaster-prone country in the world according to the 2023 World Risk Index. In the study areas—CARAGA and Davao—communities regularly face typhoons, floods, earthquakes, and conflict-related shocks.

SEDPI members experienced a series of major disruptions. The COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 affected 100% of members. Typhoon Vicky in 2020 and the February 2024 floods each affected 22%. The December 2023 earthquake impacted 16% of members. These events occurred in quick succession, preventing communities from fully recovering before the next crisis hit.

In March 2020, 51% of women entrepreneurs stopped their income-generating activities (IGAs) entirely, and the rest struggled. Though there was a slight improvement by 2021, struggles persisted into 2023, due to inflation and recurring disasters. Only about one in three women were able to return their businesses to normal.

Many reported business damages, loss of income, product loss, and declining customer ability to pay. Some even had to rebuild from scratch after floods. These hardships affected both personal and business finances, and in many cases, entire communities.

Gender played a crucial role. In 2022, women’s IGAs improved when men helped at home, but by 2023, as men rejoined the formal workforce, women’s IGAs declined again. The data suggests that household cooperation, not dominance, was key to resilience.

Women believe they are better at strategizing, are more resourceful than men and have the tenacity to ask for assistance,. They also have greater budgeting skills and charisma in selling,—qualities that enhanced their ability to adapt.

FGDs revealed several actual coping strategies, such as: foregoing household expenses, withdrawing savings, accessing MFI loans, finding additional work, and using community-based insurance like damayan.

The most effective strategies were cutting household expenses and earning extra income. Interestingly, borrowing from friends and relatives was rated as the least effective. Overwhleming livelihood optimism is observed among the respondents despite experiencing successive disasters.

As for ideal strategies, women prioritized: withdrawing savings, foregoing expenses, and using indigenous insurance systems. Special mention was given on SEDPI KaTambayayong, which offered fast payouts within 24 hours, unlike commercial insurance which took months, and gave more comprehensive benefits at a single price.

Policy recmmendations

Finally, I’d like to share the policy recommendations drawn from this study. These aim to improve the resilience of women nano-entrepreneurs in the face of disasters and economic crises, while also supporting their roles as household caregivers and livelihood operators.The recommendations are organized into three main areas: strengthening social protection, disaster mitigation, and advancing financial and digital inclusion.

First, we recommend improving childcare support. Many women had to scale down or stop their businesses due to a lack of child care. Local government units should ensure that public daycare centers are well-staffed and accessible to free up women’s time for livelihood activities.

Second, there is a need for better coordination among social protection programs. Right now, many are fragmented, underfunded, and overlapping. As echoed in our FGDs, MFIs—not government—were often the most consistent source of support during crises. Enhanced inter-agency coordination is needed to improve coverage and reliability.

Third, we propose easing membership to government social insurance programs like Pag-IBIG, SSS, and PhilHealth. Many women lack access due to high contribution costs, absence of IDs, or being over the age limit. Solutions include lowering contributions, simplifying requirements, and offering state-subsidized enrollment for the poorest.

Next, the government should include disaster coverage in social insurance programs. This includes designing special assistance packages for high-risk areas such as no-condition cash transfers, emergency shelter, and livelihood grants.

Aid distribution should also be streamlined and transparent. Simplifying claim procedures and ensuring real-time updates will help aid reach beneficiaries faster and build trust. We also recommend offering micro housing loans—with 0% interest and longer terms—to help families rebuild after disasters.

On the financial side, there is a strong need to enhance digital and financial literacy, especially among women. Training should cover digital tools, online marketplaces, and financial planning. Involving younger family members to support older women entrepreneurs can also bridge the digital gap.

We propose developing local online marketplaces, including price lists and supplier directories to increase market access for rural nano-enterprises. In terms of financial products, MFIs should offer savings-focused products with flexible withdrawal policies, especially during disasters. While savings are the most effective coping mechanism, many women can only save small amounts, making it critical to pair them with community-based insurance and government safety nets.
Finally, MFIs play a key role. They should be supported in offering affordable, multi-risk insurance products that complement government programs. The Insurance Commission can enable this by simplifying claim requirements, especially for amounts below PhP100,000. MFIs can also serve as conduits for government livelihood and recovery funds, combining grants and non-interest-bearing loans. Pre-identifying MFIs and beneficiaries would allow for faster rollout after a disaster.

To sum up, building women’s resilience requires a holistic approach—supporting their roles as both entrepreneurs and caregivers, enhancing their financial tools, and creating systems that respond quickly and effectively to shocks.

Thank you.