Women become trailblazers in economic dev’t in CAR

More women than men in the Cordillera are engaged in various business ventures, making them trailblazers of economic development in the region.
In line with the region’s celebration of the Women’s Month, Department of Trade and Industry-Cordillera Director Myrna Pablo reported that of the 89,628 entrepreneurs the department assisted in 2020, 69.5 percent or 56,000 of them are women who are actively involved in economic enterprises based on their latest data.
Pablo said last year, DTI-Cordillera has provided P71 million worth of assistance to 1,000 women entrepreneurs who borrowed money to improve their businesses and only P7M for men borrowers.
She said Cordillera’s women entrepreneurs thrive or inclined to venture on three major sectors, namely trading like sari-sari stores and mini groceries; services such carinderia, restaurants, and other small businesses; and small-time manufacturing activities focused on tradition and culture-based products, such as loom-weaving and agri-based foods and coffee production.
Most of these women go to the DTI to seek financing support and assistance on trainings and seminars to improve their marketing skills and technology, knowledge in e-commerce by learning how to access their market virtually; business name registration purposes, and related support like consumer welfare protection.
Ninety-nine percent of those who come to negosyo centers to ask for assistance and counseling on what business to best venture in are also women.
Among the major concerns of women who seek consultation are financing, marketing support, and technology upgrade and e-commerce knowhow.
With women known to be more patient, more enduring, and keen about details, Pablo said they are also the ones who mostly are interested in seminars/webinars and who have 100 percent attendance in these activities, sitting with them for hours in their bid to learn and improve their business undertakings. – Hanna C. Lacsamana