In support of the celebration of the 2021 National Women’s Month with the theme, “Juana Laban sa Pandemya: Kaya,” the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 4A, under the Supporting Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Philippines Project or GREAT Women Project 2, turned over coffee equipment to women micro-entrepreneurs (WMEs) on 16 March 2021 in Calamba City, Laguna and on 17 March 2021 in Amadeo, Cavite.
The GREAT Women Project 2 is a project funded by the Government of Canada that seeks to improve the economic empowerment of WMEs and their workers through improving competitiveness and sustainability of WMEs and the enabling environment for women’s economic empowerment.
In the recent efforts made by the Philippine Commission on Women, the lead executing agency for the project in partnership with other agencies of the Women’s Economic Empowerment – GREAT Women Project 2 (WEE – GWP2), an impact study rolled out in 2020, which assessed the situation of the WMEs, revealed that majority of the WEE-GWP2 enrolled WMEs had been hard hit. The majority of respondents reported having stopped production and operation. Employees and members of the organizations accounted 75% decrease to no sales at all, and 64% said that they no longer have enough capital available.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought numerous challenges to many businesses, especially to our WMEs. We are hoping that through this technology assistance to our WMEs in the CALABARZON region, we would be able to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of our WMEs and to aid in their capital loss and decreasing sales,” said DTI-CALABARZON Director Marilou Q. Toledo.
In Laguna, five sets of coffee storage equipment were awarded to Mr. Michael Pillas of Elbi Coffee Hub, a foot sealer to Ms. Lucilyn Villanueva of Mabato Coffee and HVC Agriculture Cooperative, and a coffee cupping set to Ms. Michelle Dela Cruz of Casile Guinting Upland Marketing Cooperative.
In Cavite, a tabletop coffee grinder was given to Ms. Agnes Madlansacay of Café Amadeo Development Cooperative, a commercial coffee grinder each to Ms. Olivia Lansang of Olivia’s Coffee Seed Shop and Ms. Arsenia Lopez of She Brews Coffee, and a foot sealer to Ms. Bettina Grace Belardo of Belardo Coffee Enterprises.
Ms. Eleanor Medina, the owner of ESM Food Products and a beneficiary of the Packaging and Labeling Project under the Industry Cluster Enhancement (ICE) Program, was awarded packaging prototypes with the improved logo and packaging label design. The ICE Program seeks to develop priority industries through institutional development, industry strengthening, and cross-sector collaboration among government, private and non-government organizations across the different areas in the value chain.♦
Date of Release: 22 March 2021