The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), through the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), honored nine outstanding micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) for demonstrating how improving productivity uplifts businesses, workers, and communities.
Marking its tenth cycle, this year’s Productivity Olympics was joined by thirty finalists to showcase their best practices in agribusiness, industry, and services, highlighting productivity’s role in sustaining enterprise sustainable growth, competitiveness, and impact on the economy.
“A highly productive economy means that we produce more goods or services with the same amount or fewer resources. This boosts our competitiveness, and this helps the economy attract more investments for employment, offer low prices of goods and services, and provide higher wages,” DOLE Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma said in his speech.
“We want to improve productivity because we want to improve our living standards, reduce poverty, and create an enabling business environment where enterprises can thrive and grow,” he continued. He also cited DOLE programs such as the Adjustment Measures Program to support MSMEs, which account for 98 percent of enterprises, employ 6.2 million workers, and contribute 40 percent of the country’s GDP, as they grapple with challenges from technological advancements and economic disruptions.
The initiative aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s 2025 State of the Nation Address pronouncement, where he underscored the government’s commitment to strengthening support for small businesses and microenterprises, expanding employment opportunities, and providing capital and protection for innovation and intellectual property.
The winners
For the agribusiness sector, the winners are Rey’s Bakeshop from MIMAROPA in the micro category, Amamio Farm Products from Caraga in the small category, and Muravah Foundation from the Bicol Region in the medium category.
In the industry sector, Mira’s Food and Agriventure, Inc. from CALABARZON won in the micro category, BB’s Sweets Company from the Ilocos Region in the small category, and Allen Stick and Trading from Caraga in the medium category.
For the service sector, the winners are Vintazk Business Support Services from Zamboanga Peninsula in the micro category, Chef Connie’s Resto & Cafe & Catering Services from the Bicol Region in the small category, and Top Achievers Private School, Inc. from Cagayan Valley in the medium category.
The national winners each received a P125,000 cash prize, a trophy, and priority endorsement to NWPC training programs and services. Meanwhile, finalists also received a P25,000 cash prize and a plaque.
Apart from the national winners, Sultan Kudarat Coffee Ventures, Inc. (agribusiness-small), BBs Sweets Company (industry-small), and Boink Creative Studio (service-small) received the Gawad Inklusibo special citation, which recognizes enterprises for leadership and innovation in promoting gender equality and inclusion.
David’s Agri Business (agribusiness-micro) was conferred the Gawad Luntian special citation, which recognizes enterprises for advancing environmental sustainability and creating green jobs under the Philippine Green Jobs Act.
They were chosen from 156 regional entries through a rigorous evaluation based on business excellence (50 percent), employee engagement (30 percent), innovation and green practices (15 percent), and social accountability (5 percent). RTWPB Caraga was also recognized as the 2025 Best RTWPB.
Past winners also shared inspiring messages on how they expanded their businesses, strengthened workplace practices, and created more opportunities for workers. Representatives from both the labor and employer sectors likewise expressed their support for DOLE in advancing the viability of MSMEs, which play a key economic role and generate more jobs.
According to Labor Undersecretary Benedicto Ernesto R. Bitonio, Jr., winners were assessed based on tests of whether the enterprise’s growth was significant and in conformance with DOLE laws and regulations, whether that growth was the result of deliberate measures, and whether the growth was fairly shared.
Additionally, the Gawad Ingklusibo award required the enterprise to have a positive impact beyond its staff, while the Gawad Luntian ensured the enterprise’s environmental responsibility.
“We are continuously tasked to establish and promote the causal linkage between higher productivity and just sharing in the fruits of production among enterprises and their workers. The proof that we are carrying out our task is in the outcomes: for enterprises, reasonable returns on investment; for workers, improved compensation and benefits,” Undersecretary Bitonio Jr. highlighted in closing.
