Honing Agents for National Disaster Awareness (HANDA) Program: Disaster Preparedness and Business Continuity Planning for MSMEs

As part of its disaster preparedness initiatives, the UP ISSI joined the Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill on 15 February 2018 at 2:00 PM.

A total of sixty-four (64) individuals participated in the Drill composed of UP ISSI staff, tenants, and visitors.

The UP ISSI aims to develop a culture of preparedness among Pinoypreneurs through the Honing Agents for National Disaster Awareness (HANDA) Program: Disaster Preparedness and Business Continuity Planning for MSMEs. It includes delivering awareness sessions, capacity-building training programs, and conducting research studies related to enterprise resilience, business continuity management and business continuity planning for MSMEs.

The 1st run of the HANDA Program was conducted on March 20 – 22, 2018 among twenty (20) participants from the academe, MSMEs, and cooperatives.

In line with its mission to help develop resilient enterprises, the UP ISSI conducted the 2nd run of its Honing Agents for National Disaster Awareness (HANDA) Program on May 17 – 18, 2018 at the UP ISSI Bldg., E. Jacinto St., UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City.

As part of its Coffee and Entrepreneurship Discussion Series, the UP ISSI conducted the Kapihan 3: Strengthening Community-based Disaster Preparedness in Metro Manila on November 7, 2021 at the UP ISSI Bldg., E. Jacinto St., UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City.

This event was conducted by the UP ISSI with funding support from the Technology Application and Promotion Institute of the Department of Science and Technology.

The Kapihan 3 aimed to help raise awareness on the impact of disasters on the MSME sector and facilitate public-private collaboration towards community-based disaster risk reduction management. It was attended by 103 participants from MSMEs, local government units, academe, civil society organizations, and other industry stakeholders.

At the end of the session, the participants were given free copies of the UP ISSI Research Division’s Smart Business Guide on How to Prepare a Business Continuity Plan.

This Smart Business Guide presents the main steps to be considered in business continuity planning. At the end of these BCP guides, readers will find a BCP template that will help them get started in business continuity plan preparation.

The SBG is distributed to the participants of the UP ISSI’s MSME Business Continuity Planning Workshops, and the participants of the UP ISSI’s Honing Agents for National Disaster Awareness (HANDA): Disaster Preparedness and Business Continuity Planning for MSMEs.

Author: Laddaran, J.
Date Published: November 2018
ISBN: 978-971-544-002-8

As part of its disaster preparedness initiatives, the UP ISSI joined the Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill on 21 February 2019 at 2:00 PM.

This exercise was participated in by a total eighty-nine (89) participants composed of UP ISSI staff, training participants, tenants, and visitors.

Can your business continuously operate and deliver critical products and services when disaster occurs? The participants of the 3rd Honing Agents for National Disaster Awareness (HANDA) Program learned how to protect their employees, business assets, and more during the session on March 19 – 21, 2019 at the UP ISSI Bldg., E. Jacinto St., UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City.

This Manual is intended to supplement the Smart Business Guide on How to Prepare a Business Continuity Plan. It contains workshop templates used by the UP ISSI HANDA Program Management Team in conducting the Honing Agents for National Disaster Awareness (HANDA), a localized disaster preparedness and business continuity planning capacity-building program for MSMEs.

The HANDA Manual is distributed to the participants of the UP ISSI’s Honing Agents for National Disaster Awareness (HANDA): Disaster Preparedness and Business Continuity Planning for MSMEs.

Author: Recio, G.; and Laddaran, J.
Date Published: March 2019
ISBN: 978-971-544-003-5

"Business continuity planning makes good business sense." The UP Institute for Small-Scale Industries conducted the 4th Honing Agents for National Disaster Awareness (HANDA) Program: Disaster Preparedness for MSMEs on 6 – 7 May 2019 at the UP Institute for Small-Scale Industries, E. Jacinto St., UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City.

The UP ISSI conducted the Forum on Investing in MSME Resilience on May 16, 2019 at the UP ISSI Bldg., E. Virata Hall, E. Jacinto St., UP Diliman, Quezon City.

The speakers included Mel Cabodil (President of the Business Continuity Managers Association of the Philippines), Cynthia Dela Cruz (Chief Trade and Industry Development Specialist of the Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development, Department of Trade and Industry), and Joanna Rose Laddaran (University Extension Specialist of the UP ISSI).

Forum participants included those coming from the academe, MSMEs, and local government units assisting MSMEs.

This event was in line with the BCI’s Business Continuity Awareness Week (BCAW) celebration which aims to raise awareness of business continuity and resilience. To know more about the BCI’s BCAW 2019, visit https://www.thebci.org/event-detail/event-calendar/bcaw2019.html.

The UP ISSI HANDA Program Management Team participated in the Multi-Hazards Summer School Program conducted by the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) – International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS) in Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan on July 22 – 25, 2019.

As part of the Program, the UP ISSI Team visited the Sendai Arahama Elementary School where 320 residents, students, and school personnel evacuated during the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. Now, those who visit the school have the chance to learn from the evacuation that occurred, tsunami countermeasures in Sendai City, and disaster prevention measures.

The lessons learned from the UP ISSI Team’s participation in the APRU MH Summer School Program were incorporated in the improvement of the Institute’s Honing Agents for National Disaster Awareness (HANDA) Program.

The UP ISSI conducted two (2) MSME BCP Workshops sessions and one (1) BCP Train-the-Trainers session for the Province of Bataan in partnership with the National Resilience Council on August 1 – 2, 13 – 14, and 19 – 20, 2019 in Balanga City, Bataan. This was participated in by a total of 59 MSMEs and LGU representatives assisting MSMEs.

The UP ISSI conducted the MSME Business Continuity Planning Workshop for twenty (20) coffee growers and producers assisted by the Department of Trade and Industry Cordillera Administrative Region. The BCP Workshop encouraged the use of the coffee producers’ local language to foster active participation and interactive engagement among the participants. This initiative was part of the UP ISSI’s Advocacy Project entitled, “Towards Integrating Inclusivity in Current Business Relationship in the Coffee Industry: A Study on the Challenges of the Relationship Among Coffee Enterprises in Atok, Benguet.”

The UP ISSI’s Joanna Rose Laddaran delivered a presentation entitled, Lessons Learned on the Role of MSMEs in Community-based Disaster Risk Reduction during the Asia Risk and Resilience Conference 2019 co-organized by BCP Asia and RIMAS.

With the theme, “Sustainable Risk & Resilience Governance – Riding the Turbulent Economic & Technology Wave,” the ARRC 2019 was conducted on 28 – 30 August 2019 in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

Joanna’s presentation highlighted case stories of MSMEs – their disaster experiences, threats challenging their business operations, and their business continuity strategies. This paper was presented under the ARRC’s session on Dealing with the Quickly Changing Climate & Natural Hazards: Ensuring Disaster Risk Reduction for now and the future with a Study in SMEs within the Philippines. Her participation in the conference was supported by the UP Diliman Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Research and Development (OVCRD) Research Dissemination Grant.

The UP ISSI’s Joanna Rose Laddaran delivered a presentation entitled, HANDA: Disaster Preparedness ad Business Continuity for MSMEs in the Philippines during the Business Continuity Summit 2019 conducted by the Business Continuity Managers Association of the Philippines (BCMAP) on 10 September 2019 at the SM Mall of Asia Annex, Pasay City, Philippines.

With the theme, “Business As Usual,” the Summit was attended by business continuity practitioners, risk officers, emergency management officers, and representatives from MSMEs and cooperatives. It aimed to provide updates on business continuity management industry standards, trends, best practices, and strategies that the participants can immediately apply in their own organizations.

The UP ISSI conducted a 3-day MSME BCP Workshop for the Local Government Unit (LGU) of the City of Santiago, Isabela. The Workshop also included a session on Community-based Disaster Risk Reduction facilitated by Citizens’ Disaster Response Center Foundation, Inc. (CDRC).

It was attended by twenty-five (25) participants from the academe, cooperatives, hospitals, MSMEs, and LGU representatives assisting MSMEs.

Participants learn how to better safeguard the wellbeing of employees, and how to continue delivering critical products and services following a disruptive incident. We hope that entrepreneurs start developing the culture of preparedness within their work places by joining the Honing Agents for National Disaster Awareness (HANDA) Program: Disaster Preparedness and Business Continuity for MSMEs conducted on November 12 – 14, 2019 at the UP Institute for Small-Scale Industries, E. Virata Hall, E. Jacinto St., UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City.

As part of its business continuity advocacy awareness initiatives for MSMEs, the UP ISSI participated in the SME Roving Academy conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry – National Capital Regional Office for the Philippine Young Entrepreneurs Association on November 6, 2019 at Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

In particular, the UP ISSI’s HANDA Program resource speaker, Joanna Rose Laddaran, shared the basics of Business Continuity Planning and an overview of the UP ISSI’s Honing Agents for National Disaster Awareness (HANDA): Disaster Preparedness and Business Continuity Planning for MSMEs.

The Public Service Continuity Planning Workshop was conducted by the UP ISSI for the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) on November 13 – 15 and 27 – 29, 2019 at the UP ISSI Bldg., E. Jacinto St., UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City.

Aimed to develop participants’ capabilities to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and disasters, the Workshop runs were attended by a total of one hundred twelve (112) participants from CHED Offices and SUCs nationwide. It also aimed to enhance the resilience of CHED’s main and regional offices to natural and human-induced hazards by training them to develop their own service continuity plans.

This Policy Brief highlights the key findings from the Study, "Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Philippine MSMEs'' conducted by in April 2020. The Study concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent Enhanced Community Quarantine implemented by the Philippine government have negatively impacted the MSME sector. Thus, the UP ISSI recommends for the government to: (1) Provide financial grants to cash-strapped MSMEs; (2) Facilitate MSME’s access to interest-free loans and other financial assistance; (3) Look into the feasibility of waiving taxes and other business-related fees of MSMEs for at least six months; (4) Eliminate barriers to the movement of goods and personnel in essential sectors; (5) Realign budget and allocate to industries severely affected by the pandemic; (6) Strengthen the ICT infrastructure in the country; (7) Increase the capacity of MSMEs on business continuity planning; and (8) Increase the capacity of MSMEs to leverage disruptive technologies.

This Report documents the key findings from the Study, "Effects of COVID-19 on Philippine MSMEs". In this study, an online survey was conducted among 108 MSMEs in April 2020 to investigate how the pandemic is affecting them. Based on the results of the Survey, the most common negative effects on MSMEs were closure of business; cash flow problems; employees not being able to report for work; drop in sales; delay in processing and delivery of orders/services; and limited or lack of supply of raw materials. With these findings, the Study concluded that the MSME sector is one of the hardest hit sectors by the pandemic and that it is critical that the government and other stakeholders provide the necessary and timely support for the MSME sector to pave the way for its survival and eventual recovery.

As part of the COPE Webinar Series, the UP ISSI conducting a session on HANDA: Developing Business Continuity and Promoting the Culture of Preparedness among MSMEs on July 29, 2020.

The resource speakers from this session came from the UP ISSI, the Business Continuity Managers Association of the Philippines, ARISE Philippines. Three HANDA Program graduates from the following organizations also served as resource speakers: Beakris House of Goodies, Southern Isabela Medical Center, and 1Cooperative Insurance System of the Philippines.

The webinar was streamed live on Facebook. eCertificates were issued after completion of the evaluation form.

The UP ISSI Research Division presented the results of the Survey on the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on MSMEs during the Communities of Practice for Entrepreneurship (COPE) Webinar session on July 15, 2020. eCertificates were issued to the participants after completing the webinar evaluation form.

As part of its business continuity advocacy awareness and capacity-building initiatives for MSMEs, the UP ISSI participated in the Public-Private Partnership on Advancing Learning among Enterprises towards Resilience and Transformation (ALERT) under the MSME Resilience and Recovery after COVID-19 Webinar Series conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry – Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development, ARISE Philippines, and the National Resilience Council on August 8 and 15, 2020.

In particular, the UP ISSI’s HANDA Program resource speaker, Joanna Rose Laddaran, delivered a presentation entitled, Main Steps in Preparing Business Continuity Plan for MSMEs. The UP ISSI also shared its 1-page MSME BCP at a Glance: Enterprise Resilience Roadmap template to the ALERT Webinar participants composed of seventy (70) MSME tenants / company lessee of SM.

In celebration of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, the UP ISSI conducted the E-HANDA Program Webinar Series from October 13 to 29, 2020 from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM.

With the theme, “Promoting MSME Resilience for Sustainable Recovery Towards the Better Normal,” the Webinar Series focused on promoting business continuity, disaster risk reduction, and resilience of MSMEs. The topics discussed included public-private partnership in promoting DRR and MSME resilience, occupational safety and health, building psychosocial resilience in the workplace, promoting data protection and organizational security, the people element of BCM for MSMEs, overview of BCP, and gaining stakeholder commitment in BCM for MSMEs.

The Webinar Series included speakers from the academe (UP Resilience Institute, Data Protection Office, Office of Counseling and Guidance), government (DTI-BSMED), private sector (ARISE Philippines), and the UNIDO – Philippines.

As part of its business continuity advocacy awareness initiatives, the UP ISSI participated in the Business Expert Group Discussion conducted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Philippine Country Office and the Global Compact Network Philippines (GCNP). In particular, the UP ISSI’s HANDA Program resource speaker, Joanna Rose Laddaran, served as a co-facilitator with the BCMAP during the Business Expert Group Discussion for the sub-theme Business Continuity Management for MSMEs on October 20, 2020. The UP ISSI also prepared a background paper on the status of BCM awareness and implementation among Philippine MSMEs which was distributed to the participants prior to the event.

The UP ISSI is also a member of the Multi-stakeholder Working Group for COVID-19 Response through Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development (ISID), an initiative led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the UNIDO.

This Policy Brief highlights the results of the research study, “Assessing Government Response for MSMEs In the Time of COVID-19” conducted by the Institute from May – September 2020. In this Brief, the UP ISSI emphasizes that while the government programs rolled out for MSMEs in the time of pandemic are relevant in its goals, they proved to be inadequate in addressing the challenges faced by MSMEs and ensuring their sustainable recovery. Some of the recommendations in the Policy Brief are: (1) Increase budget allocation for recovery programs for MSMEs; (2) Provide tax reductions and other tax incentives for MSMEs; (3) Streamline application process and employ innovative approaches to ensure timely, efficient, and effective delivery of services/programs; and (4) Intensify information campaign about these programs to increase awareness of intended beneficiaries.

This Report documents the key findings from the online Survey, "Assessing Government Response for MSMEs In the Time of COVID-19" conducted by the UP ISSI among 585 MSMEs on May 22 to June 11, 2020. The Survey aimed to assess the accessibility, relevance, and adequacy of government programs for MSMEs at the time of COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the government programs assessed were the Tax Amnesty Program; the Small Business Wage Subsidy (SBWS); the COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP); the CARES Program; the Livelihood Seeding Program – Negosyo sa Barangay (LSP-NSB); the Shared Service Facility (SSF); and the Landbank Calamity Rehabilitation Support (LBP CARES).

The UP ISSI HANDA Program Management Team delivered a presentation entitled, Lessons from Promoting Business Continuity Towards the Resilience and Sustainable Recovery of MSMEs in the Philippines during the Business Continuity Summit 2020 conducted by the Business Continuity Managers Association of the Philippines (BCMAP) virtually on 19 – 20 November 2020.

The UP ISSI's experience in promoting BCP among the MSME sector was shared, as well as some case stories of how actual MSMEs face the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their business operations.

In view of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the Summit recognized that business continuity practitioners need to learn and establish new models of Business Continuity Programs. With the theme, “When the Unexpected Happens,” the Summit was attended by business continuity practitioners, risk officers, emergency management officers, and representatives from the MSME sector.

The UP ISSI aims to develop a culture of preparedness among Pinoypreneurs through the HANDA Program which includes delivering awareness sessions, capacity-building training programs, and conducting research studies related to enterprise resilience and business continuity management for MSMEs.

On December 10, 2020, the UP ISSI participated in the Business Forum 2020: Business Resiliency Amidst the Challenges and Shocks of the New Normal conducted by the City Economic and Investment Promotion Office - Santiago City and the DTI Isabela Provincial Office.

In particular, the UP ISSI’s HANDA Program resource speaker, Joanna Rose Laddaran, delivered a presentation entitled, "When the Unexpected Happens: Business Continuity Planning for the Sustainable Recovery of MSMEs." The Business Forum 2020 was attended by around 200 MSMEs supported by the DTI Isabela Provincial Office and the local government unit of the City of Santiago, Isabela.

As part of its business continuity advocacy awareness initiative for MSMEs, the UP ISSI participated in the Masterclass on Business Continuity Planning for Financial Services Institutions conducted by Globe myBusiness, BCMAP and AWS. In particular, the UP ISSI’s HANDA Program resource speaker, Joanna Rose Laddaran, delivered a presentation entitled, Business Continuity and the Role of the Financial Services Industry in MSME Recovery.

Attendees of the online forum include 203 participants from rural banks, cooperatives, pawnshops, microfinance institutions, and MSMEs.

In line with the BCI’s Business Continuity Awareness Week (BCAW) celebration, the UP ISSI and the BCMAP conducted the Business Continuity Awareness Webinar: Building the resilience of our nation’s MSMEs on May 18, 2021 at 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (GMT +8) via Zoom.

The session topics and speakers for the webinar included: "Status of Business Continuity and Resilience Practices of MSMEs in the Philippines" (Joanna Rose Laddaran, UP ISSI); "Key Factors to Consider in Business Continuity Management" (Ramil Cabodil, BCMAP); and "About the BCI and the BCI Horizon Scan Report 2021" (Rachael Elliott, The BCI).

Around fifty (50) individuals coming from the MSME sector, agriculture, cooperatives, industry association, academe, and government agencies supporting MSMEs attended the webinar.

The UP ISSI’s Joanna Rose Laddaran will deliver a presentation on “Inclusivity in Business Continuity and Supply Chain Resilience: Lessons from Philippine MSMEs” during the BCI World Horizons 2021 Conference.

Joanna’s presentation will cover lessons learned from promoting Business Continuity Management among the MSME sector in the Philippines as well as provide recommendations on how to gain commitment of MSME owners and employees in embedding business continuity and enterprise resilience practices in their organization.

The BCI World Horizons 2021 Conference will take place on June 16 - 17, 2021 with the theme, Facing the Future Together. To know more, visit https://www.thebci.org/event-detail/event-calendar/bci-world-horizons.html.

In line with the observance of the National Disaster Resilience Month, the UP ISSI conducted the COPE Webinar on Promoting Resilience of Philippine MSMEs on July 30, 2021 from 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM via Zoom and Facebook Live.

The webinar aimed to promote business continuity and resilience of MSMEs by sharing about the following:

1. Occupational Safety and Health for MSMEs (Engr. Precioso Reyes, Jr., People360 Consulting Corporation)
2. Fostering Self-Care and Managing Psychosocial Risks at the Workplace (Prof. Lorelei Vinluan, Ph.D., RGC, UP College of Education)
3. Building Resilience Through Digital Relevance (Amrei Dizon, CPM, ME, Vitalstrats Creative Solutions Co.) - Ms. Dizon mentioned in her presentation that because of what her business partner learned in the UP ISSI HANDA Program in 2019, they were able to come up with their own Business Continuity Plan which they were able to use during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The UP ISSI HANDA Program Management Team (Joanna Rose Laddaran and Glennis Uyanguren) presented at the Asia Risk and Resilience Conference 2021 on August 19, 2021, 11.15 am – 11.55 am (GMT+8).

The UP ISSI's session entitled, "Lessons Learned from Enterprises Dealing with Compound Disasters" covered how compound disasters adversely affect the life, property and socioeconomic activities of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). This was based on the results of the UP ISSI's Case Study on a Fire Incident in 2018 Affecting MSME Concessionaires in a University in Quezon City. The study was funded by the UP Diliman Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development through its Outright Research Grant.

The ARRC event was held on 18th – 19th August 2021 with the theme, ARRC 2021: Resiliency Transformation 20.21.

To know more about the ARRC 2021, visit https://www.arrconference.com; https://www.facebook.com/ARRCevents; and
https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/arrc2021.

In line with the observance of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, the UP Institute for Small-Scale Industries conducted the “E-HANDA Webinar: Helping MSMEs Build Forward Better” on October 13, 2021 via Zoom and Facebook Live (https://www.facebook.com/upissi).

The webinar was attended by a total of 274 participants from MSMEs, agribusinesses, cooperatives, social enterprises, industry associations, academe, and government agencies supporting Philippine MSMEs.

The speakers included representatives from UNDRR Office in Japan, Department of Trade and Industry – Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development, UNIDO Philippines, National Wages and Productivity Commission, Business Continuity Managers Association of the Philippines, SGV/EY, and UP ISSI.

At the end of the webinar, three participants were awarded with training vouchers for the UP ISSI's Online HANDA Course: Disaster Preparedness and BCP for MSMEs scheduled on October 19 - 21, 2021.

The UP ISSI conducted the e-HANDA Course on October 19 - 21, 2021 via Zoom and the UP ISSI’s Virtual Learning Environment. 

A total of sixteen (16) MSMEs from the following sectors attended the online course: farming, pharmacy, micro-finance, restaurant/cafe, leisure/resort, general merchandize, clothing, industrial control, and automobile repair services sector. The participants came from Regions I, IV-A, IV-B, V, XI, XII, and the National Capital Region (NCR).

The course covered the following topics: Philippine Risk Profile, Occupational Safety and Health, Mental Resilience in the Workplace, Data Privacy & Protection, Cyber Security and Information Security, UNIDO's MSME Business Continuity and Recovery Publications,  Overview of Business Continuity Management, Basic Elements of BCP, Stakeholder Commitment to BCP.

The participants presented their initial business continuity plan, MSME BCP-at-a-Glance: Enterprise Resilience Roadmap, Commitment to Action at the end of the course.

The UP ISSI’s HANDA Program resource speaker, Ms. Joanna Rose Laddaran, participated in the 14th Security Management International Virtual Summit: The Role of Security Professional’s in Sustaining Business during the COVID-19 Pandemic conducted by the Philippine Society for Industrial Security (PSIS) International and Asia Pacific Security Association (APSA) International- Philippine Chapter on November 24 - 25, 2021.

Ms. Laddaran delivered a presentation entitled, Building MSME Resilience Towards a Safe and Sustainable Future, on the 2nd day of the Summit.

The UP ISSI Team participated in the International Conference on Philosophy of Education 2021 conducted by the Philosophy of Education and Values Education Program of the UP College of Education, and the School of Education of Indiana University Southeast on November 12 - 14, 2021.

Aligned with the conference theme, “Rethinking Education in Times of Crisis: New Paradigms, Innovative Practices, and Meaningful Outcomes for Diversity and Social Justice,” the UP ISSI Team delivered the following presentations:
1. Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Women in the Informal Economy in Quezon City and its Implications on the Education of their Children (presented by Melanie V. Cabotaje and Joanna Rose T. Laddaran), and
2. Building Forward Better through Promoting Entrepreneurship Education among MSMEs (presented by Joanna Rose T. Laddaran, Glennis S. Uyanguren, and Allysa Anne Mari-De Guzman).

As part of the UP ISSI’s aim of raising awareness on the importance of enterprise resilience and business continuity planning for MSMEs, the HANDA Program resource speaker, Joanna Rose Laddaran, participated in the Business Forum 2021: Business Recovery and Growth Amidst the Continuous Challenge of the New Normal.

Ms. Laddaran delivered a presentation entitled, “Refresh, Reboot, Restart: The Ultimate Guide to Business Recovery in the Midst of a Crisis.”

The online forum was conducted by the local government unit of the City of Santiago, Isabela and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Isabela Provincial Office on December 6 - 7, 2021.

The UP ISSI’s Survey on Business Continuity and Sustainable Recovery of MSMEs in the Philippines: Basis for Developing an Enterprise Resilience Program aims to describe the disaster experiences; impact to their business operations; disaster preparedness and business continuity-related practices of micro, small, and medium enterprises. The results of this study will aid in the formulation of policies and development of programs related to business continuity and strategies for enterprise resilience. This is part of the UP ISSI’s research project being funded by the UP Diliman Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development through its Outright Research Grant.

The results of the survey was presented during the UP ISSI's webinar entitled, “Ugnayan at Pagsulong: Towards a Gender-Responsive and Resilient MSME Sector” on 13 December 2021, Monday, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM via Zoom and Facebook Live (https://www.facebook.com/upissi).

The UP ISSI’s webinar entitled, “Ugnayan at Pagsulong: Towards a Gender-Responsive and Resilient MSME Sector” was conducted on 13 December 2021, Monday, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM via Zoom and Facebook Live. It presented the findings of the two studies that the UP ISSI conducted this year: “Impacts of the COVID- 19 Pandemic on Women in the Informal Economy in Quezon City” and “Business Continuity and Sustainable Recovery of MSMEs in the Philippines: Basis for Developing an Enterprise Resilience Program”. It also featured some of our training programs and extension projects. Other relevant organizations also discussed their support programs for the MSME sector, such as the Department of Trade and Industry, Quezon City’s Small Business and Cooperatives Development and Promotions Office, UN Women, and the National Resilience Council. 

It was attended by 74 participants composed of representatives from MSMEs, agribusinesses, cooperatives, industry associations, academe, NGOs & government agencies.

The study, funded by the UP Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, highlighted the gendered impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on women in the informal economy, which are manifested in their economic security, in their families, in their health and overall well-being. The pandemic has caused total closure of enterprises, loss of livelihood and significant drop in the incomes of the research participants.

The results of the study was initially presented on the UPCWGS Research Dissemination Forum held on August 31, 2021. On February 2022, the UP ISSI published a survey report and policy brief highlighting the key findings of the study.

To request for a copy of the survey report and/or policy brief, one may check the link: https://bit.ly/RDpublicationrequest.

The UP ISSI celebrated the National Women’s Month with a free webinar, “She Rises, She Rebuilds: Stories of Hope and
Resilience in the Time of Pandemic” through Zoom and Facebook Live on 23 March 2022, 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM.

The webinar featured three women entrepreneurs: Ms. Therese Docot-Tolentino of Cut the Scraps; Ms. Jasmin Vista Catolos of Vista Barista Coffee and Bakeshop; and Ms. Primar Jardeleza, Vice President of Pambansang Kalipunan ng mga Manggagawang Impormal sa Pilipinas (PATAMABA). They shared their experiences during the pandemic, the impact on their enterprises and livelihoods, and their coping strategies. Loss/decline in income, loss of customers, shortage of raw materials were the most common effects of the pandemic the women entrepreneurs shared during the webinar.

The UP ISSI, in cooperation with the Business Continuity Managers Association of the Philippines (BCMAP), conducted the Business Continuity Awareness Webinar in celebration of the Business Continuity Awareness Week to raise awareness on business continuity planning, disaster risk reduction, and climate risk in order to help in the sustainable recovery and resilience building of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the Philippines.

A total of one hundred seventy-three (173) individuals coming from the MSME sector, agriculture, cooperatives, industry associations, academe, and government agencies supporting MSMEs attended the webinar, which is part of the UP ISSI Communities of Practice for Entrepreneurship (COPE) Program.

The National Resilience Council (NRC), the University of the Philippines Institute for Small-Scale Industries (UP ISSI), and ARISE Philippines conducted the Pilot Testing of the Filipino Translation of the UNDRR’s COVID-19 Quick Risk Estimation (QRE) Tool (Filipino Translation) for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) on 3 June 2022 and 2 August 2022 from 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM via Zoom the platform.

According to https://www.businessqre.net/, the COVID-19 QRE Tool “aims to help MSMEs, including those in the informal sector, to better understand their exposure and vulnerability to disaster risks, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to provide a general estimation of individual business risk based on potential impact and likelihood."

In time for the celebration of the National Disaster Resilience Month, the UP ISSI conducted the e-Honing Agents
for National Disaster Awareness (HANDA) Course: Disaster Preparedness and Business Continuity Planning for MSMEs from July 26, 28, and 29, 2022 via the Zoom platform. 

The resource speakers of the 3-day course came from the UP ISSI, UP Resilience Institute, Business Continuity Managers Association of the Philippines (BCMAP), Philippine Insurers and Reinsurers Association (PIRA, Inc.), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) - Philippines.

The e-HANDA Course included workshop sessions to guide participants on how to develop their own business continuity plan, MSME BCP-at-a-Glance, and their Commitment to Action.

The UP ISSI joined the ProPak Philippines 2023: The 4th International Processing and Packaging Exhibition for the Philippines, an annual trade show organized by Informa Markets. The exhibition was held from February 1 to 3, 2023 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

UP ISSI’S HANDA Program focal person, Ms. Joanna Rose T. Laddaran, delivered a presentation entitled “Business Continuity and Supply Chain Resilience for the Manufacturing Industry'' on February 3, 2023, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM during the trade event at the Luna Room, World Trade Center. The session was attended by fifty (50) participants. This initiative is in line with the following objectives of the HANDA Program to develop a culture of resilience in the country.

To help promote the culture of resilience among MSMEs, the UP ISSI’s Joanna Rose T. Laddaran and Reynold Ferdinand G. Manegdeg conducted an advocacy Seminar on Business Continuity Planning under the SME Roving Academy of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) - Marikina on March 3, 2023 with twenty-eight (28) participants.

As part of the awareness-raising component of the HANDA Program: Disaster Preparedness and Business Continuity Planning for MSMEs, the UP Institute for Small-Scale Industries conducted the Seminar-Workshop on Enterprise Development and Business Continuity Planning on March 1 - 2, 2023 for the Metro Manila Vendors’ Alliance (MMVA). Fifty-seven (57) participants gained knowledge in the following areas: operations management, basic financial management, and business continuity planning. This seminar-workshop is part of the UP ISSI’s Communities of Practice for Entrepreneurship (COPE) Program which aims to provide entrepreneurship education to communities that have limited access to such services in a formal school setting. The COPE Program also aims to equip individuals and communities with the necessary skills and knowledge to start and sustain their businesses.

Director Melanie M. Moraga-Leaño and Research and Extension Professionals Staff (REPS) – Joanna Rose T. Laddaran, Melanie V. Cabotaje, Ron Allan R. Estrebillo and Allysa Anne M. De Guzman from the University of the Philippines Institute for Small-Scale Industries (UP ISSI) delivered flash talks during the 3rd World BOSAI Forum / International Disaster and Risk Conference held in Sendai, Japan on March 10 - 12, 2023.

The papers they presented included the following:
(1) ‘HANDA: Building Towards Resilient and Sustainable MSMEs in the Philippines’
(2) ‘The Road to Sustainable Recovery through Business Continuity: Stories of Philippine MSMEs Dealing with Compound Disasters’
(3) ‘COPE Program: Promoting a Culture of Resilience among MSMEs in the Midst of a Crisis’
(4) ‘Marginalized Identities During Health Crisis: Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women in the Informal Economy’
(5) ‘Local Government Response for MSMEs During Health Disasters: A Tale of Two Cities’

As part of the advocacy component of the HANDA Program, the UP ISSI conducted a 2-day BCP training program for the cooperatives in the Province of Aurora from September 25 - 26, 2023 at Baler, Aurora. This program is done in partnership with the Provincial Government of Aurora through the Provincial Cooperatives Office.

This is also part of the UP ISSI Communities of Practice for Entrepreneurship (COPE) Program.