The two winning Pinoy-preneurs pose with Rakuten Viber executives and ‘Pinoy Dream Negosyo’ judges. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

TRUE to its long-time commitment to support Filipino micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), Rakuten Viber recently gathered budding Pinoy entrepreneurs for a chance to level up their side hustles and small businesses.

Select Filipino entrepreneurs vying for a chance to realize their business dreams came to a head at the “Pinoy Dream Negosyo” event in Makati City last July 14.

The event rounded off the series of online challenges and activities that the top three participating entrepreneurs from the Raket PH 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, the Inquirer Group of Companies and Grab Express.

“Pinoy Dream Negosyo” has been in line with Rakuten Viber’s mission to educate, enable and empower Filipino MSMEs by giving them a platform to share their entrepreneurial journey and by providing business owners with the know-how and tools to help implement their business plans and scale their business operations.

Viber — one of the world’s leading apps for free, secured and easy communication — has been instrumental in helping small businesses grow and stay connected to their consumers and each other, especially during the pandemic.

Viber saw an increase in the use of its Channels feature during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Viber Channels helped entrepreneurs reach out to potential customers and like-minded individuals, allowing them to grow and manage their businesses.

Among the helpful tools for small businesses were the Raket PH and FoodPH Viber channels.