26 June 2013
The joint project between the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and Coca Cola Philippines Inc. will be rolled out to additional new sites all over the country to expand the coverage of the entrepreneurship training to women.
TESDA and Coke, through the S3TAR Program, will add 17 provincial sites to its existing 11 program districts starting this year up to 2014. This will cover 10,000 additional women retail store (sari-sari store) owners who would be recipients of various training and technical assistance.
For this, at least 96 new trainers will also be trained and tapped to provide training to the beneficiaries.
"This shows how TESDA and Coca Cola are bullish on women and their potentials if developed and given the opportunity to grow," Secretary Joel Villanueva, TESDA director general, said.
"All over the world as in the Philippines, women have emerged as successful entrepreneurs, taking charge not just of the home, but of businesses that play major role in job creation," he said.
But the TESDA chief said that there are millions more women who are struggling to take off, and who would benefit from the training and other services that the S3TAR Program has to offer.
"Training and guidance are key elements to their success, as well as connecting women with other like-minded entrepreneurs, non-government organizations and local government units to share experiences and provide support and advice," Villanueva added.
The new beneficiaries would come from the 17 sites identified for the program, namely: Baguio; Tuguegarao; Pangasinan; Calapan, Oriental Mindoro; San Jose, Occidental Mindoro; Marikina; Taguig; Caloocan; Albay/Legaspi; Batangas; Laguna; Bohol; Kalibo; Iloilo; Bukidnon; Marawi; and, Zamboanga.
The S3TAR program is designed to empower 100,000 women sari-sari store owners and operators all over the country by the year 2020. It has developed a customized training modules and workbooks for trainers and participants focusing on Gender-based Values and Entrepreneurship Skills; Planning a Business; Managing a Business; and Accessing Resources.
To date, Coke-TESDA S3TAR Program is present in 11 provinces and cities throughout the country namely, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Palawan, Negros Occidental, Cebu, Misamis Oriental, Davao, Pasay-Makati and Manila.
Partnerships with at least 11 non-government organizations were also forged to support women beneficiaries in the recruitment and selection and various post-training interventions such as access to microfinance and other business services.
On June 7, Coca Cola International officials from the United States headed by Ahmet Bozer visited TESDA. The delegates were briefed about the developments, and heaped praises on the program. With the good impressions that they got, the Coke official committed to infuse more funds and further expand its coverage.
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