Magis Seminar in Ateneo School of Business

All over the country, there are many livelihood programs that are organized in order to help disadvantaged groups earn more income. These groups have a lot of potential but many lack several essential ingredients for success. While producers may have the skills, they lack the eye for creating great products that the market wants. Many also are challenged by the lack of technical and business know-how. Gifts and Graces recognizes the needs of these livelihood groups and partners with them to help them become viable livelihood enterprises. The importance of building the capabilities of livelihood groups is even more urgent now as these groups strive to reach their goal to reach mainstream markets and to become reliable suppliers in the supply chain of corporations, wholesalers, and retailers. To address this need, Gifts and Graces designed an on-the-ground capability building program for its partner communities. The Business Basics and Beyond workshop conducted by the Ateneo Graduate School of Business through its MAGIS program, is the first step in the on-the-ground capability building program. 


The MAGIS Program is AGSB’s capacity-building program specifically designed for small and medium enterprises as well as NGOs. This is a follow up to Gifts and Graces’ lecture successful series last year. This year, in partnership with Hands On Manila and the Ateneo Graduate School of Business (AGSB) through its MAGIS program – Managing for Growth, Innovation, and Sustainability, Gifts and Graces rolls out a more intensive capability building program. The workshop is the first step in a capability building program for Gifts and Graces partners that focuses on enterprise growth and community building. The program carries with it the Ateneo quality of education. Participants greatly benefitted from the learnings, life-long strategies and values adhered to by the university. Aside from Gifts and Graces, four of Gifts and Graces’ partner communities participated in the workshop. They were The Learning Center, Hardin ng Kalikasan, Kapitbahayan Candles, and FCED Foundation. 


Taking time to step out of your business to look at it from a higher vantage point may feel like a luxury but is a necessity. Gifts and Graces and our partners had the opportunity to do that at the Business Basics and Beyond workshop. The workshop was designed to meet the participants where they are at, surface their pressing concerns about their organizations, businesses and communities, and create plans that are responsive to their unique needs. Among the needs surfaced from the workshop are a business plan, strategic plan, and community development plan for Gifts and Graces’ partners. The workshop took off with highlighting the importance of the purpose and objectives of organizations as well as the critical elements that contribute to its success. 


On the first day, Prof. Bago’s discussion of the customer value discipline struck the participants. Looking at each organization through this framework was eye opening for everyone. On the second day, each team had to assess whether their customer value discipline permeated all aspects of their value chain. The groups also stretched their minds and imaginations by focusing on opportunities based on the socio-political, cultural, economic, and technological landscapes. Atty. Noli Tibayan facilitated during the second day. Other topics covered were The Nature of Organizations, Business Strategies, Stakeholder Analysis and Management, Business Skills, and Business Coherence. 


At the end of the second day, Ateneo Graduate School of Business Dean Alberto L. Buenviaje gave the closing remarks. Ms. Greg Perez, Executive Director of Gifts and Graces responded by thanking Dean Buenviaje in behalf of the class, saying that the AGSB’s mission to build the country through their work impacted the grassroots level through this MAGIS workshop for Gifts and Graces and its partners. Afterwards, each participant received a certificate of attendance. The workshop was very helpful because it helped the organizations look at their enterprises and from a fresh perspective. We were also given tools and a framework with which to analyze the business environment. Following the workshop, Gifts and Graces will coordinate with other institutions who will provide on-the-ground training and mentorship for its partners. This is to help them set goals and milestones for them to become viable livelihood enterprises. 


 Helping make this workshop a reality was Gifts and Graces’ partnership with Hands On Manila who in turn was partnered with the Ateneo Graduate School of Business. The workshop is a continuation and strengthening of the lecture series Gifts and Graces conducted last year. As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility Program, Globe Telecom sponsored both last year’s lecture series and this year’s workshop. This is in line with Globe Telecom’s commitment to support community-based enterprises through capability building. Eastern Twinstars Foundation, a social investment enterprise that supports asset acquisition, also sponsored attendees to the lecture series and workshop.