Launch of DISRUPT 5.0

18 June 2025, 9 AM | Dusit Thani, Makati Hotel

Good morning everyone. First I’d like to greet Senator Risa Hontiveros, Governor, First Lady Arlene Guico, ASEC Lillian De Leon, DILG, of course a good friend of mine, Attorney Kapunan, Lorna, a good friend and we’ve been working together for a very long time, including me when I was in private practice, Marilyn Montejar, Chairman Army of Philippine Commission on Women, of course Mayor Jeannie of Malabon, good morning, and of course Rosemarie Rafael, good morning.

It is a distinct honor to be with you today at the launch of Disrupt 5.0, a celebration of Filipina strength, purpose, and leadership.

Now it’s very strong actually in the ASEAN and even in the APEC, the discussion on women leaders. Sobrang importante ngayon ang role ng women in government, women in private sector, women in business, and women empowerment. So next year, we will be the host of ASEAN 2026 and one of the main agendas will be women.

Women leadership, women in business, everything about women, it’s actually going to play a really big role next year. Okay, to Rosemarie Rafael, our newly confirmed FWN Ambassador for Manila, congratulations. Thank you.

Your journey continues to inspire and your leadership reflects the very heart of what this book series is about. And to the Foundation of Filipino Women’s Network, thank you for creating this important platform where we can share our stories and affirm the power and potential we all have in us. Let’s not give up.

Let’s continue to grow and let’s continue to become stronger. Remember, alone we can do so little, but together we can do a lot. So let’s continue to work together to strengthen the strength of the women leaders.

As a woman like you who started her journey as an MSME entrepreneur and now serves in the government, I know that leadership is not always loud, but it is always felt. I always tell the people who work under me, now that I’m in government, it is an honor and a privilege for us to serve the government. So we must give the government and our country our best.

So when we go out there to all the women leaders, let’s give it our best. We only have one shot sometimes and let’s make this shot worthwhile. Oftentimes you feel it in the quiet moments and the strong dedication we have for the things that we do.

For so many women, the road to leadership does not start on the big stages, but in most personal and powerful places, our families, our communities, and our small businesses. But a lot of the small businesses can really grow to big businesses someday. We just need to push and we just need to continue to dream.

And the Department of Trade and Industry is here to help you every step of the way. Under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., we are building a Bagong Pilipinas, a Philippines where growth is inclusive, where leadership is shared, and where no one is left behind. We are definitely pushing the three main mandates of the Department of Trade.

Number one is foreign trade and investment. We are very heavy on this and we are very aggressive also on this. In fact, last year we beat the previous year by 32 percent of foreign trade and investment.

So aside from the income that is generated for our country, it’s also the jobs that it provides. So let us continue to support the leadership of our president because actually he’s very, very hardworking and he’s actually very strict on us. He makes sure that we get things done and with a whole government approach type of leadership.So we all work together for the best of the country.

Number two is also the Consumer Protection and Fair Trade Group, which is also a strong mandate of DTI, meaning we must protect the consumers from the products that are being sold in the market. We cannot afford to be selling substandard products because let’s say steel or let’s say Christmas lights, malaking problem ito once we let it pass.

So we must be vigilant also. So if there’s anything that you need to report, because we can only do so much also, please report to 1-384 or report to sec.dti.gov.ph.

And lastly is the MSME development. We are really pushing MSME to the max, especially that we have three years to go. 99.5 percent of the business establishment is MSME, and 60 percent of the labor force is also MSME, and 62 percent are women, led. So this is a sector that we definitely cannot ignore. We uplift the MSME, we uplift the GDP instantaneously.

So for all your projects, let’s try to focus on MSME. It’s hard to focus on so many, so let’s be strategic in our approach. At the Department of Trade and Industry, we are proud to support the women-led enterprises through MSME programs, digital upskilling, franchising opportunities, and consumer protection efforts because when women thrive, community rises.

When women lead, the nation moves forward. Alam niyo ba yun na when they make pa-utang, especially the small utang, let’s say even the 5-6, they make pa-utang only to women kasi yung women daw ang nagbabayan. This is true.

This is a fact. This is not a – this is a fact. Because for women though, they want to make sure pangalan is protected, they can own, maglalaguang negosyo, they only think of the family.

That’s precisely the reason why. And for us, DTI, SB Corp is under DTI, so we are working on a P1 billion fund for women-led enterprises na pwede magpa-

utang. So one year no payment of interest and principal, so at least we can get the business going.

So we will launch it anytime soon, hopefully this month, if not, maybe next month. So we will – you will be informed of this. Disrupt 5.0 is a living reminder that there is no single way to lead and no one path to success.

We lead from the front, bravely showing up. We lead from behind, lifting others up. And we lead beside others, forming strong teams.

And this is the spirit of Bagong Pilipinas that is truly in all of us. Let’s have camaraderie among each other. Let’s not – wala nang inggitan, wala nang pulling each other down in crab mentality.

Let’s really work together and really bolster camaraderie among each other. Tayo-tayo lang mga Pilipino, we should be supportive of each other. So today we celebrate every Filipina who dared to disrupt.

May your individual stories, your shared bravery, and your endless determination light the way for many to follow. We must really make this happen. Sayang we’re already here, nandito na tayo, so galingan na lang natin.

Let’s give it our best. And I’m sure if we give our best, may mararating tayo.

So again, thank you and good morning. ♦

Date of Release: 19 June 2025