“I think we can all agree that to hasten economic growth, the Philippines can benefit from an increased participation of women entrepreneurs.”

This was one of the highlights of the keynote address presented by Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Emmanuel A. Leyco during the Women in Business Luncheon organized by the Australian-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (ANZCHAM) and the Australian Embassy earlier today at Makati Diamond Residences.

The event was also graced by Australian Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Amanda Gorely, Australian Ambassador for Women and Girls Dr. Sharman Stone and participants from the Banking, Telecommunications, Shared Services, Aviation, Engineering, Insurance, and Legal Services sectors.

With the theme, “Improving Women’s Participation in Employment and Entrepreneurship,” DSWD OIC Leyco explained that women can provide substantial changes in their families and communities by inspiring others to be self-reliant and to engage in activities that can empower them such as livelihood and entrepreneurship.

An example that he gave was the crab farm micro-enterprise of the Manggagawang Aktibo na Naglalayong Harapin ang Kinabukasan (MANHAK), a project which was developed and managed by women community members in Barangay Manhac in Looc, Romblon and funded by one of the DSWD’s community-based capacity building program, the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).

Moreover, DSWD OIC Leyco emphasized the need for more government programs and that allows increased and better women participation because their sector offers vital contribution to the growth of the nation.

“While we encourage microenterprise development in our communities, we have failed to focus on the special need or push for more participation of women in our projects. I would like to make sure that our programs will have a special push for more and better women participation in our programs,” he said.

“We would like to see the Philippines occupying a higher value, a higher space in the value chain of the global economy and for that I think we can assure you that the DSWD will see to it that our initiatives will make sure that our skills development, our capital funding support will focus on high impact projects that will make our participation in the global economy bring us to a higher level in the value chain,” he ended. ###