Rakuten Viber turns budding Pinoy entrepreneurs’ business ideas into reality

MANILA, Philippines – True to its long-standing commitment to supporting local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), Rakuten Viber recently brought together aspiring Pinoy entrepreneurs for the chance to upgrade their side businesses and small businesses .

Some Filipino entrepreneurs who were vying for the chance to realize their business dreams came to a head on July 14 at the Pinoy Dream Company event in Makati City.

The event concludes with a series of online challenges and activities in which the three main participating entrepreneurs of the PH racket and FoodPH Viber Channels had to undergo for the opportunity to pitch their business ideas and receive a business grant from Viber and its partners.

Ultimately, two budding Filipino entrepreneurs came one step closer to achieving their entrepreneurial dreams by each receiving a business grant from Viber and its partners:

• My Cabsag by The Bistro Box in the category GRAND BESTie of Food PH
• Richmond Argosino by Ken Goods and Apparel for the Raket Mo’ To category by Raket PH

The winners were chosen under the supervision of DTI representative, Edsel John Lingon.

“It was a memorable and exhilarating experience for me. I have met and interacted with many entrepreneurs like me and gained a better perspective on running a business,” Cabsag said.

“Pinoy Dream Negosyo didn’t happen overnight. It’s a byproduct of the team’s hard work to meet the needs of Filipinos in 2020,” said Lana Macapagal, APAC PR Manager for Rakuten Viber.

“When there was an increase in the number of users and communities actively using Viber, we wondered how we could help them more. This led us to our goal, which is to champion Filipino MSMEs.”

The Two Winning Pinoy Entrepreneurs with Viber Executives and Pinoy Dream Negosyo Judges

Lana Macapagal, APAC PR Manager at Rakuten Viber

Grand BESTie Mon Cabsag with Viber executives Lana Macapagal and Veronica Feleo as well as judges Ruth Navarra-Mayo and Gerick Manalo

Richmond Argosino of Ken Goods and Apparel won the grand prize for Racket Mo’To

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Viber has seen an increase in the use of its Channels feature during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Using these channels, entrepreneurs reach out to potential customers and like-minded people, enabling them to grow and run their business.

Raket PH serves as a Viber channel for MSME owners and secondary scammers to promote their side businesses. Since its launch, Raket PH now has over 203,000 subscribers.

Food PH, meanwhile, is an online food chain that has helped small and micro food entrepreneurs adapt to the “new normal” during the pandemic through contactless online shopping. Food PH eventually evolved through its bot, serving as a transaction point for shoppers. It has grown significantly to attract over 560,000 subscribers.

Chef Gerick Manalo, who acted as a judge, praised the Pinoy entrepreneurs at the event: “It was a privilege to get to know the participants and to see them do their best while participating in the Pinoy initiative. Viber’s Dream Negosyo.”

Another judge, mompreneur Nene Tamayo, thanked Viber for hosting Pinoy Dream Negosyo. “I think this competition is an amazing opportunity for Filipinos to showcase and develop their business knowledge and skills.”

“To our finalists and channel members from Food PH and Raket PH, thank you for inspiring us. I hope that through your stories, Pinoy Dream Negosyo will continue to inspire more Filipinos to finally take the leap in pursuit of their business dreams,” added Chris Aguilar, Judge and Rakuten Viber.

Viber, a longtime supporter of entrepreneurs nationwide, looks forward to the next group of enterprising individuals whose dreams can help bring to fruition.