The “mompreneurs” of Madiskarte Moms (MMPH), a Filipino online community, are making a positive impact by nurturing a supportive ecosystem and focusing on social change while balancing their home lives.
At the second annual Gawad Madiskarte, which celebrates innovative mompreneurs, eight exceptional women stood out for their businesses’ transformative influence, not only on their own lives but also within their communities.
Gawad Madiskarte was launched by PLDT Home in 2022 to honor and motivate aspiring female entrepreneurs.
During the awards luncheon, the audience, many of whom were dedicated mompreneurs themselves, were deeply moved by the winners’ stories of hardship and triumph, often shedding tears.
Winners in the Start-Up and Scale-Up categories received P100,000 each, while three Special Award recipients were granted P50,000 each by PLDT Home, along with an exquisite trophy by sculptor Ram Mallari. Additionally, each winner received a one-year PLDT Home Fiber subscription, an ASUS laptop, and a one-year Canva Pro subscription.
In the Start-Up category, Diskarteng Angat was awarded to Catherine K. Fabello of Cami Candles; Diskarteng Digital went to Eraiza Camille A. Ramos of Eleira’s Crochet; and Diskarteng May-Puso went to Joelle Dianne F. Venegas of Golden Pots Agriculture.
In the Scale-Up category, the award for Diskarteng Angat was given to Irene D. Herrero of Jacob’s Gourmet Food; Diskarteng Digital went to Rojerette May Martin-Pimentel of Moms@Work Management Consultancy Firm and DigiTalent; and Diskarteng May-Puso went to Erica Joana Angela Redrico of Produkto PH.
Gawad Madiskarte also gave special awards to three mompreneurs. Diskarteng Malikhain went to Ayn Stephanie Buyco Angeles of HERS by Godfather; Diskarteng Pasulong was awarded to Jazel T. Gallaza of Kapekoh; and Diskarteng Homebiz to Eraiza Camille A. Ramos of Eleira’s Crochet.
Actress Marjorie Barretto, one of this year’s Gawad Madiskarte judges, told the women during the awarding, “I want to be like all of you. It was so hard to judge the entries—it took me several days. I read all your stories and sineryoso ko.”
Barretto herself is an entrepreneur with her own online home and clothing brand called Everything Avery. Joining her as judges were Maxine Loyola, AVP & Head of PLDT Home Marketing Public Relations, Influencer Marketing and Brand Advocacies; entrepreneurs Jorge Wieneke and Jenny Wieneke; Janine Khazaiealiabady, owner of Massage MNL; Donna Nievera-Conda, president and co-CEO of Stratworks, Inc.; and Maisie Littaua, Head of Growth for Canva Philippines.
“Big dreams often start with small beginnings, and we have mompreneurs to prove that. They have shown us that motherhood is not an obstacle but the inspiration to do things better at work and in life,” PLDT Home Senior Manager Linette Garcia-Perez said after the awards.
“They have shown us that the love they pour into their families is the same love that fuels their entrepreneurial spirit. For that, we are all grateful.”
Mompreneurs who are already working hard or still aspiring can get the support they need from fellow moms by joining the Madiskarte Moms PH group on Facebook and subscribing to its YouTube channel.