Madiskarte moms always find a way
Gawad Madiskarte, PLDT Home’s tribute to outstanding women entrepreneurs, is back. Together with Madiskarte Moms PH (MMPH), a Facebook community launched during the pandemic, the PLDT award comes with over P1 million worth of prizes.
Nine moms will get the chance to win cash prizes, gadgets, a PLDT Home Fiber line for 12 months, a mentorship program, and more.
Mom’s the word
This year, MMPH continues to encourage entrepreneurship among moms wanting to earn from home through online businesses. The community has grown to over 154,000 members who share ideas, and offer each other advice, encouragement, and inspiration.
The “mompreneur” group is bound by life experiences, challenges, and hardships. It is this community of women that helps fellow women turn their startups into scalable businesses that can financially support their families and fuel their dreams.
The trophy
“When I was asked to design the Gawad Madiskarte trophy, I could not refuse the honor of doing the PLDT Home project,” said Ram Mallari, known as the father of Steampunk art. “Personally, laki tayo sa madiskarte na nanay — kung di siya naging madiskarte hindi niya ako napalaki ng ganito. Kaya proud ako mag-design ng trophy for Gawad Madiskarte 2023.” (I was brought up by an enterprising Mom. If not for that I would not have become what I am today.)
Mallari viewed the designing of the trophy as a tribute to his mom — and all moms — who found ways to make ends meet during the pandemic years.
The pandemic brought about a new breed of moms who discovered ways to use their homegrown skills, like cooking and sewing, to develop new businesses.
“Tuloy-tuloy hanggang ngayon — ang dami palang ways na pwede nilang gawin. Wala naman sa office job ang gagawin natin para mag survive,” quipped Mallari. (The entrepreneurship of mom continues until today. A mom does not need an office job to survive.)
Mallari went to work developing a trophy that depicted a woman (mom) in flight because, he shared, freedom from the mindset that it is not doable is what is needed.
“Sa gawaing bahay, walang makikialam sa nanay, walang sasaway sa kanya, walang hahadlang sa kanya kung anong gusto niyang gawin,” he said. “The trophy has a faceless woman so that all women are represented. And there are wings, for immediate flight.” (In the home there is no one who gets in the way of what a mom wants done.)
Mom deserves the honor
In a report by the ADB, it was found that “more women than men have left their paid jobs to provide essential services to their families,” and that 64% of women had no personal income, compared to 39% of men.
By celebrating women’s achievements and showcasing women’s support for each other in a community through this annual award program, MMPH aimed to build that confidence. Gawad Madiskarte is back to do just that.
For this year, categories include Diskarteng Angat (Fastest-Growing Business), Diskarteng Digital (Best Multi-Channel Business) and Diskarteng May Puso (Best Social Enterprise). Two major winners per category will be chosen from the Startup Division and Scale Up Division. The former are home or online businesses that recently started and show great potential, while the latter are businesses that have been running for at least 13 months and are registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) or the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
Special awards will also be given to three deserving finalists. These awards are Diskarteng Malikhain (Most Creative Business Branding), Diskarteng Pasulong (Most Innovative Product) and Diskarteng Home Biz (Mompreneurs’ Choice Award).
The PLDT connection
Last March, PLDT Home’s Madiskarte Moms PH (MMPH) won, not only the Gold Anvil Award, but also the Grand Anvil — the highest honors at the 58th Anvil Awards, considered the Oscars of local PR, awarded by the Public Relations of the Philippines (PRSP).
MMPH was also given the Silver Award from the Asia Pacific Stevie Awards last year. Gawad Madiskarte 2022 was also honored at this year’s Anvil Awards with the Gold Anvil under the PR tools category.
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For information, visit https://pldthome.info/GawadMadiskarteAwards2023.
