Alliance of small and giant moguls

Just when we thought we already have an abundance of pro-women programs in the Philippines, here comes the “ASEAN 10 x 10 Initiative” – which will make possible an alliance, not only dialogue, between and among 10 women-led entrepreneurial organizations and 10 corporate giants among member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

This partnership is much more than the usual kind of having a handshake, holding cocktails and making speeches extolling the imperatives of gender equality. It is an honest-to-goodness learning-mentoring partnership between a start-up firm and a corporate giant. On one hand, the start-up gets a package of assistance from a corporate giant; on the other hand, the big firm makes itself and its executives available to mentor the start-up’s women managers.

These start-ups will gain access to support services such as client acquisition, investments, mentoring, grants and sponsorships, among others. It will add access to markets, better storage quality, and sustainable training, not only for women business, but also young girls who must by now are imbibing the mindset of being “wealth creators.” 

As an introduction of the 10X10 Initiative, its pilot phase will focus on women-led small and start-up companies, which is part of the ASEAN region’s gender equality advocacy.

The launching of the ASEAN 10x10 is set at the ASEAN Women’s Business Conference on  Aug. 31 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). The organizers have not left any stone unturned to make the event a smashing success.

It is jointly organized in the Philippines by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in partnership with the ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs’ Network (AWEN) and the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW).

Trade and Investment Promotion Undersecretary Nora Terrado cites the objective of the event: “The larger ASEAN Women’s Business Conference will provide a platform for entrepreneurs to hold dialogues between and among the ASEAN delegates from the private and public sector as well as ASEAN partners on matters that advance women entrepreneurship.”

Terrado underscores the strategic importance of the event: “These are the important topics such as access to markets, innovative business models and baseline studies that will pave the way for crafting of relevant policies and programs in the ASEAN region.” This is very timely, says Terrado, “especially that the package of corporate support services is wide-ranging and applicable to the Philippine situation.”

The prospects that will result from this event are tremendous.  “We spur local women entrepreneurship in the country, considering that we have a considerable number of women business leaders and entrepreneurs in the Philippines,” Terrado said.

One should take note that the Philippines topped the Gender Gap Index in the Asia-Pacific region, and this sets us apart as an example for other countries to continue to empower women in contributing to the nation’s economy, according to Terrado.

Additionally, a recent report published by the World Economic Forum,  shows that the Philippines ranked 7th among 144 countries surveyed in terms of gender gap index.

Earlier this year, DTI with AWEN also led the Women in Tech Forum. Moving forward to the advocacy of advancing women in technology, AWEN is set to pilot the 10 x 10 project within its membership network in ASEAN.

Not to be outdone is MAGIC Malaysia, the organization that implements the project named MAGIC Activate Program. It is a platform that can connect startups with a global community of entrepreneurs.

Our women in the Philippines have truly come a long way.

Terrado beams with pride about the great prospects of Filipino women entrepreneurs to establish many more companies, beyond the first 10 in the Initiative.

“We can see in our country alone how women have the capability of growing a business,” she said.

Meanwhile, our Filipino women leaders are at the forefront of encouraging states to adopt more policies – not only to remove the barriers for advancement, but also allow and encourage women to take up causes that are larger than life.

Decades ago, women advocated the right of suffrage. Then, the corporate community started hiring outstanding women leaders to be VOOs and CEOs in our companies. Even our evangelical churches are allowing their women to take up ministries.

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There are two Outstanding Sillimanian Award recipients in 2017. They are Cynthia Arnaldo-Bonta,  a human rights and social justice advocate based in California, and Dr. Myrna Sillero-Mahinay, a distinguished chemist from Mindanao.  

They were scheduled to receive their awards in a special ceremony held yesterday, Aug. 28, at Silliman University’s 116th founding anniversary.

Bonta finished high school and studied pre-medicine at Silliman for two years before she transferred to UP Diliman for her BS in zoology in 1958. She earned her master’s in religious education at the Pacific School of Religion in 1968 in California.

Bonta along with some Filipinos in America, worked on a campaign to offer an accurate history and more informed portrayal of Filipino-Americans in textbooks in California public schools.

  Her citation notes that her advocacy includes the promotion of domestic workers’ rights. She is now engaged in addressing affordable housing crisis that plagues the San Francisco bay by helping pass an ordinance for rent control. She has provided support to Filipino tenants in an apartment complex where 33 families live under the threat of eviction.

In 2016, Bonta received the Outstanding Filipino Award of the Filipino Women’s Club of Sacramento, and the Bayani Award for Outstanding Service and Commitment of the Pasquil Family Foundation.

Dr. Myrna Sillero-Mahinay  is among the country’s well respected scientists with extensive researches and studies in the field of chemistry. Her researches, mostly on heavy metal analysis and its effect on living organisms, have been published in journals and presented in local and international conferences.

Her citation reads that in 1999, she was commissioned by the Philippine Senate to assess the extent of mercury pollution in Mt. Diwalwal, Compostela Valley. The result of her assessment led to a stricter implementation in the confiscation of smuggled mercury in the area and the relocation of affected inhabitants out of the affected vicinity.

Myrna obtained her BS degree in chemistry from Silliman in 1976, and her master’s in chemistry at UP Diliman in 1985. She placed ninth in the 1986 National Chemistry Board exam. She holds a PhD in chemistry from James Cook university in Australia.

She held two post-doctoral fellowships: one at the University of Miami in Florida under the Fulbright-US Department of State Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs, and another from the National Institute of Natural Science in Okazald Institute for Integration Bioscience, under a grant from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

She also spent several months in Bangalore, India as a research fellow for the International Fellowship program Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research.

A chemistry professor at Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, Dr. Mahinay is the first from outside the National Capital Region to have been awarded Outstanding Chemist of the Philippines in 2016 by the Professional Regulation Commission.

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