Cebu City, Philippines — October 17, 2025. The Small Business Corporation (SBCorp) participated in the 2025 National Cacao Congress held on October 16–17, 2025, at the Waterfront Hotel, Lahug, Cebu City.
The event, organized by the Philippine Cacao Industry Association, Inc. (PCIA) in partnership with the Philippine Cacao Industry Council, the Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Philippine Coconut Authority, gathered 80 exhibitors and around 1,200 delegates from the cacao and coconut ecosystem—farmers, entrepreneurs, cooperatives, industry leaders, government agencies, civil society groups, and the academe—under the theme “The Science of Intercropping Coconut and Cacao… Plus Cash Crops.”
Representing SBCorp, the MSME Development and Venture Capital Group (MDVCG) presented the RAPID Growth Investment Fund, an equity financing facility under the Rural Agro-enterprise Partnership for Inclusive Development and Growth (RAPID Growth) Project. The Fund provides equity support to farmers’ organizations, cooperatives, and MSMEs in key agricultural value chains to expand operations, adopt modern technologies, and strengthen market linkages through inclusive and sustainable partnerships.
The RAPID Growth Project, jointly funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of the Philippines through the DTI, aims to increase the incomes, productivity, and competitiveness of smallholder farmers, cooperatives, and MSMEs by integrating them into profitable and sustainable value chains. Unlike programs focused solely on high-growth enterprises, RAPID Growth adopts a holistic and inclusive approach, ensuring that benefits reach all actors—from farmers to processors to market enablers—across the value chain.
RAPID Growth operates in 20 provinces across Regions VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, Caraga, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), focusing on the value chains of cacao, coffee, coconut, and processed fruits and nuts.
The Project has four major components:
Component 1: Direct Assistance to Enterprise
Component 2: Institutional Strengthening
Component 3: Technical Assistance to FSPs
Component 4: Innovation Fund, Implemented by SBCorp
The RAPID Growth Innovation Fund has a total budget allocation of USD 5.84 million, of which 90 percent—or approximately ₱270 million—is dedicated to equity investments in 40 target investee firms. The remaining funds support investment facilitation, capacity building, and technical assistance to ensure the sustainability and scalability of investee enterprises.
To date, SBCorp has approved ₱74.2 million in equity investments for 11 companies located in Mindanao and Region VIII. An additional 12 accounts are in the pipeline, targeted for approval before the end of 2025. SBCorp aims to grow its portfolio to 23 existing and 18 new investee firms—totaling 41—by 2026, ahead of the Project’s conclusion in June 2027, thereby exceeding the overall target of 40 investees in the aforementioned regions.
Present during the Congress were DTI Undersecretary Blesila Lantayona, Head of the Regional Operations Group, and DTI Region XI Regional Director and RAPID Growth Deputy Project Director Romeo L. Castañaga, who both expressed their strong support for continued collaboration among government, industry, and private sector partners in promoting innovation and inclusive agricultural growth.
SBCorp’s participation in the 2025 National Cacao Congress underscores its steadfast commitment to fostering inclusive and innovation-driven development in the agri-based MSME sector. Through the RAPID Growth Investment Fund, the Corporation continues to empower rural enterprises and advance financial inclusion for underserved MSME segments.
SBCorp also extends its appreciation to the PCIA for spearheading this important industry event.
For inquiries about the RAPID Growth Innovation Fund, please contact the SBCorp MDVCG via email at gdalisay@sbcorp.gov.ph or call (632) 5 328 1100 to 10 / 5 328 1112 to 16 local 1648.
