SM Investments : Airspeed Group’s Founder Wins at APEC Best Award 2021

Airspeed Founder and Chairwoman Rosemarie Rafael wins the APEC Best Award 2021 for Best in Business Sustainability in Tackling the Pandemic.

Airspeed Founder and Chairwoman Rosemarie Rafael continues to take end-to-end logistics to world-class levels. This comes after Ms. Rafael, who also spearheads Airspeed's digital arm-the Amazing Philippines Digital Economy Corporation (APDEC), was awarded at the APEC BEST Award 2021 for the category Best in Business Sustainability in Tackling the Pandemic.

In an online ceremony convened in Moscow, Russia,APEC cited APDEC as the paramount example of a female business driving Asia-Pacific economic and social recovery by assisting MSMEs, particularly women-led entities, navigate the new normal. Since 2016, APEC has given out the Business Efficiency and Success Target (BEST) Award which recognizes the most efficient projects of female entrepreneurship from different sectors, including digital economy, traditional entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship, as well as management approach and solutions.

"When we are relentless with what we do, it gives us the strength to achieve, to survive, to overcome and to be strong. It is about building businesses that are sustainable and scalable; and building communities that are reachable and accessible that will eventually build lives which is what matters the most," Ms. Rafael said.

As the digital arm of Airspeed, the APDEC Team handles the brand building, business development and expansion of SpeedGifts, and the Kahanga-hangang Pilipinas advocacy program development and partnerships.

SpeedGifts is the online gifting platform of the Airspeed Group and will be the main platform to be used for selling. The SpeedGifts' platform features brands and products of MSMEs from different municipalities across the country that have gone through the Kahanga-hangang Pilipinas program. Kahanga-hangang Pilipinas (Amazing Philippines), on the other hand, is the advocacy program of the Airspeed Group led by APDEC Team. In partnership with DTI, LGUs, and other non-profit organizations like Galing Pook, the program aims to help entrepreneurs sell their products online through the SpeedGifts platform. APDEC's role is to conduct digital marketing training (and other needed learnings of the community) for MSMEs and make sure that these entrepreneurs will not be left behind in the country's economic growth.

Currently, APDEC is growing its list of MSME partners and government partners such as Negosyo Centers on LGUs to be able to assist the OFW market. These partnerships are managed from merchant portfolio building, business development, product curating, to brand building.

In establishing APDEC, Ms. Rafael aims to develop its overall customer experience while building programs and a brand for MSMEs - as an advocacy, to slowly digitize the local economy and empower women entrepreneurs.