GMA HONORS 9 OUTSTANDING FILIPINO WOMEN
ENTREPRENEURS
[PHOTO
AT LEFT - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo poses with the Women of the Year
awardees of the Go Negosyo-Philippine Commission on Women (PCW): (left to right)
Leonardo Camacho, Marixi Prieto, Rosalinda Wee, Maria Cristina Medina, Solita
Monsod, Regina Paz Lopez, Pilita Corrales, and Lina Legaspi during the 2nd Go
Negosyo Women Entrepreneurship Summit Themed "Babae Tagumpay Ka ng Bayan" Monday
(March 8) at the World Trade in Pasay City. Looking on is Joey Concepcion III.
(Dado Aguilar-OPS/NIB Photo)]
MANILA, MARCH 9, 2010 (STAR) President Arroyo led yesterday the awarding of nine Filipino women entrepreneurs who have made numerous contributions to nation building.
The “Go Negosyo-PCW Inspiring Filipino Women of the Year” awardees are Leonarda Camacho of the Metro Manila Linis Ganda, singer/entrepreneur Pilita Corrales, Linda Legaspi of the Marylindbert International, Regina Paz Lopez of ABS-CBN Foundation, economist Solita Monsod, Esther Vibal of Vibal Publishing House, Marixi Prieto of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Rosalind Wee of the Philippine Federation of Local Councils of Women, and English teacher Maria Cristina Medina of the Laguna Resettlement Community School.
“Women, indeed, are successful entrepreneurs,” Mrs. Arroyo said in her keynote speech during the 2nd Go Negosyo Women Entrepreneurship Summit at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.
The event coincided with yesterday’s celebration of International Women’s Day.
Medina also received the CreamSilk Empowered Woman Award with a cash gift amounting to P100,000.
The President acknowledged the women’s success in entrepreneurship as she cited the government’s support through loans worth P340 billion to almost six million micro, small and medium enterprises.
This, in turn, has generated six million jobs, mostly for women, she said.
Mrs. Arroyo said that of the total loans granted, 90 percent were availed by women.
“In 2004, I said I will create three million enterprises during my administration but with (Trade) Secretary (Peter) Favila’s report, we have doubled our target,” Mrs. Arroyo said.
The President said that her administration is very supportive of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through loans given by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and with the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE) giving guidance to make beneficiaries good managers.
She said she is doing this because “we want to create a stronger middle class.”
The 2nd Women Entrepreneurship Summit, organized by the PCE and the Philippine Commission for Women, is the highlight of this year’s Women’s Month celebration with the theme, “Babae, Tagumpay ka ng Bayan.”
This year’s commemoration of International Women’s Month is a celebration and recognition of women’s triumphs over life’s trials. It also commemorates women all over the world for the promotion, protection and fulfillment of their human rights.
97 teachers finish GTP
Meanwhile, the President led last week the awarding of certificates of completion to 97 public school teachers from Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Cebu who attended the Global Training Program (GTP).
The teachers comprise the first batch of teacher-trainees under Globe Telecom’s Global Filipino Teachers Program (GFT) in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Coalition for Better Education (CBE), a Cebu-based non-profit organization composed of various education stakeholders.
The GTP is a 54-hour, six-day training program that uses information and communication technology (ICT) tools to create ICT-enabled learning in school.
The teachers were given training workshop on ICT in teaching basic subjects like English, Science, Math and HeKaSi.
“Through the GFT program, Globe strengthens its commitment to be the leader in ICT for education by providing public school teachers with the skills to enhance the learning experience of students in public schools all over the country,” Globe president and chief executive officer Ernest Cu said.
GFT is an extensive six-day teacher training program that focuses on the proper use of ICT application for school-centered classroom activities.
GFT was first launched in Central Visayas where the biggest concentration of schools under the Globe Internet in Schools Program (ISP) is.
Globe invited 100 ISP-connected schools from Bohol, Negros Oriental, Cebu, and Metro Cebu to field teachers for the GFT training last November in Cebu and Bohol.
From a total of 100 teachers, 97 were able to finish the course. The teachers who completed the GFT training automatically earned three units in a masters program should they decide to pursue higher education.
The GFT recognition ceremonies were held at the Cebu International Convention Center with Mrs. Arroyo, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, and Cu leading the guests. – Helen Flores, Paolo Romero