TACLOBAN CITY – The national government through its different offices and partner local government units is implementing a program that will empower women in the community particularly those who are in business sector through its Great Women Program.

To ensure that the objective of the program will be attained, the national government through the Philippine Commission on Women provided help to local government units to ensure that they will craft polices that will focus on economic empowerment of women.

The program aims to make a community look at women as equal with men, including the opportunities and privileges that are accorded to the men.

In the region, four municipalities were identified as pilot areas, namely, Barugo, Capoocan, Tanauan and Baybay.

In the four municipalities, among the focus association where the government is extending their help are women associations which engages in small enterprises like the one in Barugo, whose women are into local delicacy making.

Department of Trade and Industry Provincial Director Desiderio Belas Jr said that the reason why they are concentrating on women in small enterprise sector is that most women in the community are engage into small scale enterprises.

“We wanted to help them make their products be competitive and make them more productive by engaging them into various activities such as capacity building and enhancement trainings,” Belas said.

“Empowering women is not just a local concern but this is an international issue ,” Belas said.

At present they are focusing to food sector as most women are engage in the said business enterprise.

He added that once they are able to enhance the capabilities and skills of the women in the said sector, they will move to another sector which is also dominated by women, the handicraft business enterprise.

Belas added that the government should implement program that will help women in small enterprises to make their business sustainable in the community.

Among the partner agencies of the DTI in this project are the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), Philippine Commission on Women and the respective local government units of each pilot municipality. (Roel Amazona)