13 October 2014
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and Coca-Cola Philippines are spreading early Christmas cheer to women micro-entrepreneurs with activities that will allow them access resources for their sari-sari stores in time for the Christmas season.
The first STAR (Sari-sari Store Access to Training and Resources) Christmas Convention, which kicked off on October 13 at the Andres Bonifacio Integrated School Gymnasium in Mandaluyong City, gathered around 670 STAR Program scholars from Taguig, Mandaluyong, Muntinlupa and San Juan.
During the Christmas Convention, the women STAR Program scholars were taught how to apply for additional capital through ASA Philippines, the micro-finance partner of STAR Program for GMA and South Luzon. Coca-Cola Philippines also provided the women scholars with merchandising support and Christmas decorations that will bring Christmas back to the communities.
"It is never too early to bring Christmas cheer to the people, especially women retailers, who are at the forefront of small business and micro-enterprise," TESDA Director General Joel Villanueva said.
"With this newfound knowledge about managing their business, they could hit it big in time for Christmas," Villanueva added.
The STAR Christmas Convention is part of Coca-Cola’s Share Sari-Saring Happiness campaign for the year.
The STAR program is under the Coca-Cola Company’s 5by20 Program, a global initiative to empower five million women worldwide by the year 2020. It was launched and piloted by TESDA and Coca Cola in 2011 and is now being implemented in 23 cities.
The skills training program has three components: access to training, access to resources and access to peer mentoring.
The STAR Christmas Convention is also being planned in Davao City, Pampanga, Batangas, and Negros Occidental.
Atty. Adel Tamano, Coca-Cola Philippines Vice President for Public Affairs; Carlos Gonzales of Coca- Cola FEMSA; Kamrul Tarafder, founder and president of ASA Philippine Foundation, TESDA Deputy Director General for TESD Operations Teodoro C. Pascua, TESDA Special Projects Office Director Sonia Lipio and Mandaluyong City local government officials headed by Councilor Charice Abalos led the launch in Mandaluyong City.
In photo are the STAR beneficiaries together with Coke and TESDA Officials (left to right) Mr. Kamrul H. Tarafder, Co-Founder and President of ASA Philippines Foundation; Director Sonia Lipio of TESDA special Projects Office; Atty. Adel A. Tamano, Vice President for Public Affairs of Coca Cola Philippines; TESDA Public Information Office Director Marta Hernandez; Clayton Sunga, Region Manager of GMA Coca Cola FEMSA; and Gilda Custodio-Maquilan, Sustainability Manager of Coca Cola Philippines.
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