Across street corners, markets, and neighborhoods in the Philippines, millions of small businesses are doing more than selling goods—they’re carrying dreams.
Our last report, The Filipino Dream, revealed that starting a business was one of the top aspirations of Filipinos. In this new report, we explore how micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs)—from sari-sari stores and manufacturers, to food vendors and retailers—are not just economic actors, but the embodiment of aspirations shaped by ambition, necessity, and resilience.
We collaborated with the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry to launch a survey to over 3,000 MSME owners across the country to answer three questions:
- What drives these entrepreneurs to start a business?
- What challenges do they face?
- What do they need to unlock further growth?