Photo of the female members of the Kababayen-an Alang sa Paglambo sa Nadudnong Industriya sa Gatas Multipurpose Cooperative (KAPANIG) in Siquijor.
In photo: “WOMEN IN ACTION” Female members of the Kababayen-an Alang sa Pagpalambo sa Nasudnong Industriya sa Gatas Multipurpose Cooperative (KAPANIG) in Siquijor, assisted through DTI’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

CENTRAL VISAYAS – The Department of Trade and Industry Region 7 (DTI 7) continues to champion gender and development (GAD) through its unwavering support for women entrepreneurs. As part of its celebration for Women’s Month, DTI 7 highlights its impact on women-led businesses in the past two years. As of March 2025, the department assisted a total of 10,738 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across Central Visayas, with 9,834 or 92% of them being women or women-led. Similarly, in 2024, DTI 7 extended its support to 50,864 MSMEs, with 33,351 or 66% being women entrepreneurs.

These numbers underscore DTI 7’s commitment to ensuring that women-led enterprises have access to essential resources, including capacity-building programs, financing opportunities, market linkages, and business advisory services.

Key initiatives that contributed to this milestone include last year’s E-TAAS ang Pinay MSMEs program, which provides mentorship and digitalization support to women-owned enterprises, and the department’s continued efforts in trade fairs, financing facilitation, and business training sessions. In 2025, access to market initiatives (5,644 MSMEs), advocacy programs (8,247 MSMEs), and business registration and facilitation (4,477 MSMEs) emerged as the top three areas of assistance, benefiting thousands of women entrepreneurs.

DTI 7 Regional Director Maria Elena C. Arbon emphasized the department’s dedication to women’s economic empowerment, stating, “Women entrepreneurs are integral to our local economy. By equipping them with the right tools and resources, we are not just supporting individual businesses—we are fostering inclusive growth and community resilience.”

As part of the Women’s Month celebration, DTI 7 remains committed to rolling out programs that further bridge gender gaps in the business sector. According to Dir. Arbon, with an increasing number of women-led enterprises thriving in Central Visayas, DTI 7 envisions a future where inclusive and sustainable economic development is within reach for all. ♦

Date of release: 14 March 2025

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