The School of Management and Information Technology (SMIT) celebrated milestones of the BS Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship (BS-SIE) program, commending the pioneering batch and its achievements, on May 8 at Hotel Benilde.

The BS-SIE Program, established in 2023, was the first of its kind to be offered in both Benilde and the Philippines, which aims to develop socially innovative entrepreneurs with sustainable solutions that improve communities. 

Ms. Joana Diñoso, SMIT Dean, delivered a congratulatory message to start the event. She recognized the students’ achievement and expressed her appreciation for their experiences with the BS-SIE program despite changes in leadership and transitions among program chairs and deans.

“You have done more than just complete a degree or be able to complete a degree. You have set the standard, established the culture, and built the very legacy of this academic path.” Ms. Diñoso commented.

Ms. Diñoso also highlighted that it is the “heart” of the program that makes it special, foreseeing them to “lead with passion and compassion” as future innovation leaders, consultants, and entrepreneurs while defining the reputation of the program, reflecting Benilde’s vision of “a future-ready, technology-driven education that remains deeply rooted in humanity.”

Benilde Chancellor Mr. Benhur Ong then delivered his speech, noting the program’s progress of a steady growth in student population from eight students to 73 at present, and the courage of joining a new, evolving program without an established reputation. 

Mr. Ong reminded the students of their purpose of learning stakeholder management, leadership development, and ethical business practices from the BS-SIE program. Traditional business practices only focus on maximizing shareholder wealth, but SIE redirects profits toward sustainability and social impact, and studying SIE means choosing to prioritize the “social innovation” part of it.

Mr. Ong honored the pioneer batch, stating that they “will always hold a special place in the history of the program” as they will influence its growth and are “proof that pioneering ideas can become transformative.”

After the speeches, the history of the BS-SIE program was briefly introduced. It was first conceptualized on Nov. 29, 2019, rooted in the United Nations Development Program’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

In 2023, the program was formalized, as the first batch of eight students enrolled and the program’s home organization, IGNITE, was established. In 2024 and 2025, 33 and 73 students were enrolled respectively. Currently, the program continues to develop.

The final message was delivered by ID123 BS-SIE student, Karel Czesley Mendoza, on behalf of the students of the pioneering batch. Throughout her speech, Mendoza looked back on her batch’s experience in studying BS-SIE by organizing general assemblies, conducting research for prototypes and interviews. They also collaborated with the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) to come up with an innovation addressing a specific social problem, and worked on “Nice,” an extension platform for learning management systems.

Overall, she said she was “relieved that SIE has a massive potential to expand its training heights in the future” and “in positive hope that the path of the program is in good hands in the future.”

The event concluded with short closing remarks by Mr. Ong.

In an interview with The Benildean, BS-SIE Program Chairperson and Coordinator, Ms. Jane Sy and ID123 BS-SIE pioneer batch students Mendoza and Maverick Christian Acab discussed their inspirations to choose BS-SIE and experiences including the achievements and challenges in the program as a pioneer batch.

According to Ms. Sy, BS-SIE as a program “[focuses] on [business] innovations that cater to providing positive impact, not only in Benilde, but also to the community” that considers “people, planet, and profit” by exposing them to various social issues and partnering with social enterprises. 

Mendoza thinks that “the unique value proposition of the program … is doing good for the sake of the planet, the community, and also to give back,” and Acab considers integrating business with environmental and social causes as a way to help communities set priorities and implement changes in their surroundings, while keeping in mind the aim of meeting the SDGs by 2030.

When asked about the challenges in their program, Mendoza asserted that being the pioneer batch is the actual challenge because there are no prior batches to ask for help on how things work and the advancement of the course depends on their experiences and feedback to refine the curriculum for the succeeding batches which helps the students and SMIT department enhance the program. 

Acab then added how the support of the college community sustained the program and alleviated its difficulties. “That's why it helps us to force [us to think], to sharpen our mind[s], and our self-confidence to [make] a strategic decision in the near future.”

In support of this statement, Ms. Sy extended her heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the faculty towards the administration, co-chairpersons and particularly the students that placed their trust in the young, developing academic program. 

As they braved a new course, Ms. Sy, Mendoza, and Acab believed the program greatly benefited from collaboration, standing as one of its key achievements other than support from feedback, one of which is the notable Startup Innovation Challenge with the SUSS. 

Ms. Sy stated that the SMIT department is working on increasing out-of-class activities and partnerships with more social enterprises, such as for-profit organizations and corporations. 

The BS-SIE program’s journey started from an initial concept to a full-scale reality, proving that pioneering ideas can become transformative and build a lasting legacy.