Manila, Philippines — The KITA Initiative, the landmark women’s empowerment movement created by Havas Ortega in collaboration with SPARK! Philippines, continues to gain global and local acclaim—earning major distinctions across three prestigious creative award platforms.
At the Internationalist Awards for Innovation in Media, The KITA Initiative won gold for its breakthrough campaign “KITA: Making Women-Owned Businesses Seen, One Sign at a Time”, solidifying its position as a global model for advocacy-driven media and inclusive creativity.
The campaign also earned Bronze in Outdoor and a Shortlist citation at Spikes Asia 2025, the region’s most prestigious platform for creative excellence in marketing and communications.
Most recently, The KITA Initiative achieved another milestone at the 17th Kidlat Awards, the premier recognition body of the Philippine advertising industry, bringing home a total of five metals, including:
• SILVER – Classic Creativity: Design
• SILVER – Creativity in Engagement: PR
• BRONZE – Classic Creativity: Outdoor / Ambient
• BRONZE – Classic Creativity: Integrated
• BRONZE – Craft: Design / Outdoor / Print: Best Typography
In addition, the campaign was recognized as a finalist in five other categories.
These accolades affirm KITA’s growing influence in the creative community as a campaign that unites purpose with innovation—elevating women entrepreneurs and igniting support through strategic storytelling, culturally resonant design, and multi-sector collaboration.
Championing Visibility as Empowerment
The KITA Initiative responds to a critical reality: although 66% of MSMEs in the Philippines are owned or led by women, their contributions often remain underrecognized. MSMEs comprise 99.5% of registered businesses, contribute 40% to the national GDP, and employ 63% of the workforce—making them the backbone of the Philippine economy.
Yet, in a male-dominated commercial landscape, women entrepreneurs face systemic barriers to visibility and growth. KITA was launched to help break these barriers, anchoring its movement on the belief that presence creates opportunity.
By visibly marking women-owned businesses and creating platforms for their recognition and advocacy, the initiative aims to elevate these women and foster a cultural and economic paradigm shift.
The KITA Typeface: A tool for recognition and cultural expression
As part of the campaign’s creative toolkit, the KITA typeface was designed to symbolically mark the presence of women entrepreneurs. Inspired by the butterfly sleeves of the traditional Filipiniana, the typeface reflects grace, strength, and resilience—hallmarks of a Filipina enterprise. The word “kita” means both “to see” and “to earn” in Filipino, encapsulating the dual aims of visibility and economic empowerment.
While the typeface has become iconic to the campaign, The KITA Initiative remains a broader movement of advocacy, community-building, and institutional engagement.
From simple signages to systemic change
KITA has inspired a growing ecosystem of allies and partners:
- Design platform Canva integrated the KITA typeface, making it accessible to its 220 million monthly users worldwide—exponentially expanding its reach
- Palawan’s first female-owned brewery, Palaweño Brewery, created a special-edition beer, committing 40% of its sales to support the initiative
- Filip+Inna has agreed to produce tote bags featuring the KITA typeface which will be used to package clothing sold from their label
- SM Supermalls used the KITA typeface in their communication materials for the Sining Filipina 2025, an all-women’s art competition by the Zonta Club of Makati & Environs Foundation, Inc., an event co-organized by SM Supermalls
- The Philippine Association of Store and Carinderia Owners (PASCO) distributed over 500 store signages to mark select member establishments as women-owned businesses
- The KITA font has been adopted by Bodyfood All-Natural and For Keeps Clean Beauty in its communication materials and collaterals
- Coca-Cola has pledged to sponsor more signage transformations for women-owned community stores and shops
The KITA Initiative team has likewise been invited to talk at various events including:
- Imprint 2025 – a graphic and visual communications fair organized by the Filipino Graphic Designers Community held at the Philippine Trade Training Center
- UN Women Kababaihan, Kalikasan, Kabuhayan – A workshop organized by the Women Business Council Philippines (WomenBizPH) held at the Meralco Lighthouse
- Partners in Progress: Inclusive leadership for lasting change – The French Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (CCI France) held a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee meeting at the BDO Towers in Valero, Makati
- #Women2025: Women and the Future of Business Session – SPARK! Philippines’ event held at the Atrium of Robinsons Department Store
Business groups, professional associations, and public institutions have since embraced and amplified the movement, helping KITA reach new audiences and effect deeper impact.
“Winning gold at the Internationalist Awards and five Kidlat metals is more than recognition of creativity—it affirms the power of advocacy-led work to inspire systemic change,” said Jos Ortega, CEO of Havas Ortega Group. “The KITA Initiative proves that purpose, design, and collaboration can come together to move societies forward.”
Maica Teves, Executive Director of SPARK! Philippines, echoed this, “KITA is no longer just a campaign; it is a movement. Through collaboration, storytelling, and a shared purpose, we are building real pathways for opportunity and visibility. And this recognition reminds us that the world is watching – and responding. Together with our partners, we are building an inclusive economic ecosystem and contributing to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.”
From a local campaign to a global movement
As The KITA Initiative continues to expand, so does its impact. With momentum from its international recognition and growing number of partnerships, it now stands as a scalable model for inclusive development, serving as a testament to what can happen when creativity, advocacy, and collaboration converge to achieve a meaningful purpose.
