Thriving in the Margins: Barriers, Resilience and Innovative Practices of LGBTQIA+ Business Owners in Davao Oriental

Joseph Villas Tongcos; Janessa Gavino Pilar

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i03.79460

Thriving in the Margins: Barriers, Resilience and Innovative Practices of LGBTQIA+ Business Owners in Davao Oriental

Author(s)	Ms. Joseph Villas Tongcos, Dr. Janessa Gavino Pilar
Country	Philippines
Abstract	This study highlights the importance of investigating the entrepreneurial experiences of LGBTQIA+ business owners in Davao Oriental, particularly in the locality of Lupon and in the City of Mati, a group whose contributions to local economic development remain largely invisible in mainstream research. While global scholarship has examined minority entrepreneurship, there is a notable research gap in contextualizing the barriers, resilience, and innovative practices of LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs within rural Philippine settings. The purpose of this research is to explore the challenges faced by these LGBTQIA+ business owners, the resilience strategies they employ, and the innovative practices that enable them to thrive despite systemic adversity, for them to fit into the fabric of society. A quantitative research methods design was adopted to measure numerical data to identify patterns, test hypotheses, or establish cause-and-effect relationships among the different variables of these respondents. Using a quantitative descriptive-comparative research design, the study aimed to determine the demographic profile of the respondents, assess the level of barriers encountered, evaluate their resilience, and identify the innovative practices they adopted in sustaining their businesses. Data were collected using a validated, researcher-developed questionnaire administered to selected LGBTQIA+ business owners via quota sampling. Statistical tools such as frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and the t-test were utilized in analyzing the data. The results are significant in demonstrating that resilience and innovation are not merely survival mechanisms but active drivers of inclusive entrepreneurship. This study contributes to theory by extending resilience discourse into marginalized business contexts and to practice by offering policy insights for local government and development agencies. The key takeaway is that LGBTQIA+ business owners of Lupon and in the City of Mati, despite thriving in the margins, hold transformative potential for fostering inclusive growth in Davao Oriental.
Keywords	RC (Rainbow Community)/LGBTQIA+ Community, Business Owner
Field	Business Administration
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 3, May-June 2026
Published On	2026-05-26
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i03.79460

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Thriving in the Margins: Barriers, Resilience and Innovative Practices of LGBTQIA+ Business Owners in Davao Oriental

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