Felix Torallo’s Teatro Berde Wins in ADMU Social Entrepreneurship Business Plan Writing Competition  

Felix Neil L. Torallo , a third year AB Communications student of the Ateneo de Naga University, emerged as one of the five winners in the Ateneo de Manila Social Entrepreneurship Business Plan Writing Competition in line with 1st Future Leaders of Asia Forum.  “Teatro Berde”, his winning business plan, made its way up amongst the other twenty-five participating schools in the whole Philippines and in several Asian countries like Pakistan, Japan and Malaysia.   

Teatro Berde is centered on the concept of making people analyze and realize the present environmental situation they are in and finding ways to learn and make the best of that situation.   Barangay Balatas, where Naga City’s garbage dump site is located, is Teatro Berde’s chosen beneficiary.  This is where the business plan’s programs such as providing the youth with trainings and workshops on story-writing and basic theater, costume, props and set design using recycled materials as well as acting and performing in theaters,  will be implemented.  An income generating program will also be developed through the creative stories and plays that the youth of Balatas themselves will make and perform in.  Proceeds of these plays will be for the benefit of the youth beneficiaries of Balatas as well as to sustain the operating expenses of Teatro Berde. 

Through Teatro Berde’s program, Torallo believes that the youth of Balatas will be able to develop their skills and talents and more importantly, boost their confidence and be able to have a renewed view on the environment. 

Other schools who won in the business plan writing competition are Ateneo de Manila, De La Salle University, Xavier University and University of San Carlos.  They will each receive twenty thousand pesos (Php20, 000) to be used as start-up money for their respective business plans.  The business plan competition was sponsored by the Ateneo de Manila University, Ashoka: Innovators for the Public in cooperation with Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc.