Leading e-commerce platform in the Philippines, Lazada, introduces PiliPino by Lazada, a holistic program that aims to drive inclusive growth by boosting and celebrating the best of Philippine e-Commerce – people, places, and products.
The program will champion micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and aspiring entrepreneurs through mentorship and sustained support, from onboarding to the launch and growth of their businesses on the platform.
“Many of our products and sellers on Lazada are proudly local. We feel honored to be able to help them in maximizing their online businesses, as well as guiding their consumer reach through the tools, technology, and support that we provide. PiliPino by Lazada is our umbrella campaign for ‘choosing Filipino’ as our social responsibility.
This is inspired by the intention of mentoring and empowering Filipino entrepreneurs, elevating homegrown businesses, and promoting sustainability,” says Pauline Castro, Head of Traffic Strategy and Product Operations.
Proving its dedication to championing Filipino artistry and entrepreneurship, Lazada marked the beginning of PiliPino by Lazada through “She Talks Conversations,” in partnership with women empowerment community and advocacy agency, She Talks Asia.
Led by She Talks Asia Co-Founders Lynn Pinugu and Bianca Gonzalez-Intal, the event was held to create a space for women to share their own personal stories and exchange insights that will help Lazada build on their new program.
“She Talks Asia is honored to partner with Lazada for the PiliPino campaign. As a community and organization committed to empowering women and amplifying underrepresented voices, we are proud to join Lazada in their impactful efforts to support local businesses, particularly those championed by remarkable women, helping them expand their reach and propel toward sustained growth and success,” says She Talks Asia CEO and Co-founder Lynn Pinugu.
Lazada invited women entrepreneurs who have endured the ropes of building their businesses while balancing work, family, and personal lives. With the She Talks Conversations led by Try Local PH Founder Cat Juan Ledesma, the women entrepreneurs were given the chance to share, listen, learn, and relate to one another’s stories.
These women entrepreneurs include Apple Caballes-Suntay of Storage Solutions, Evan Maderazo of Sundals, Lorina Tan of Tiny Buds and Blooms, and Michelle So of Blithe.
The women shared their journeys as entrepreneurs, from hardships to triumphs experienced, as well as their own personal mentors who helped pave the way to their success. Like many businesses, they too dealt with the hardships brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, which enabled them to learn the ropes of e-commerce and build their businesses on Lazada.
“I started working with the communities my late mother used to work with, and I began to understand why she did what she did—why she chose to help our fellow Filipinos.
Today, I am working on building a community called ‘Localpreneurs,’ a platform to empower small startups and local businesses on their entrepreneurial journey while keeping our local communities in mind,” says Evan Maderazo, Founder of Sundals.
“We are not just doing this business for ourselves. One of our products uses purified water, and we thought that if we can take this water and put it in our products, how unfair is it that there are still children in the Philippines that don’t have access to water, even to just wash their hands?
This is how we were able to come up with a project called Drops of Hope, where the proceeds of our products, Tiny Buds Baby Bottle Wash or Waterfill Wipes, go to the building of sustainable water fillers,” says Lorina Tan, Founder of Tiny Buds.
The personal stories of the women sparked conversations between the guests invited by Lazada, such as fellow women entrepreneurs Nina Ellaine Dizon of Colourette Cosmetics and Maica Salud-Tady of Vestido.
Following the dialogue of the women entrepreneurs, Lazada is set to live out its commitment to helping MSMEs flourish in their respective industries by providing up-and-coming entrepreneurs with opportunities to grow and maximize their potential through the mentorship program, which will be piloted in key priority areas across the Philippines, as well as the microsite for Filipino-made products.
“Lazada takes social sustainability at the core of its business operations, recognizing the meaningful relationships it has built among Filipinos. Through PiliPino by Lazada, we aim to create an ecosystem that drives growth and positive change in our local communities with the help of our women entrepreneurs whose stories can be shared with many others,” says Castro.
