THE Tagbilaran City Livelihood and Community Development Unit headed by Adelfa Salutan launched a workshop on “Entrepreneurial Mind Setting Training” conducted by Claire Israel of the Department of Trade and Industry for the Dampas Women’s Association held in Barangay Dampas Session Hall on November 2022.
Various pieces of training to empower women entrepreneurs have already been conducted by the CLCDU. In fact, forty-nine (49) beneficiaries of the Bangon og Abante sa Bag-ong Asenso (BABA) Livelihood Project already completed its training on Dressmaking and Tailoring as conducted by the City Government partner from the Bohol Island State University (BISU). The trainees also finished their competency assessment for NC II certification in TESDA (Technical Education And Skills Development Authority).
CLCDU Head Salutan shared that aside from the skills training, the beneficiaries are also provided with social preparatory training on Values Formation, Responsible Parenting, Reproductive Health, Gender Sensitivity and Development, and Financial Literacy and Management. Dean and professors from a partner institution, the University of Bohol, conducted the series of training. The skills training, on one hand, will be handled by institutional partners, Bohol Island State University (BISU) and Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA). The game plan is to organize the trained beneficiaries to manage the Tagbilaran City Garments Manufacturing Cooperative, a 3-year project in partnership with First Consolidated Bank (FCB) Foundation, TESDA, Department of nTrade and Industry (DTI), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), UB, BISU, and GUGMA Tagbilaran.
Another major initiative is the partnership with SPARK Philippines. After the success of the upcycled designer bags for SM Supermalls commissioned to the Tagbilaran City Women’s Association Garments Manufacturing Center, alongside women from Quezon City and Taguig, Tagbilaran City will once again capacitate women thru AWE (Academy of Women Entrepreneurs). This two-month program spearheaded by the Government of the United States provides an educational opportunity for enterprising women from diverse communities. The 10-module learning engagement will provide would-be women entrepreneurs with skills in making a business plan, organization, marketing, networking, and developing their pitch. The Municipality of Balilihan and Tagbilaran City were the partner LGUs in the Visayas Region chosen for this initiative. Executive Director for SPARK Philippines Mikaela Teves said the project was also rolled out in Manila and Cebu. It will also open in Zamboanga, Batac, Puerto Princesa, and Iloilo before the year ends. SPARK Philippines is the US partner-implementor in Bohol and Zamboanga where they will be mainly responsible to identify the beneficiaries and to monitor the training sessions.
To date, AWE was able to produce 16,000 graduates in more than 90 countries. The initiative is designed to empower women worldwide to fulfill their economic potential, thereby creating conditions for increased stability, security, and prosperity for all. (Jeanette Busano)
