Posted on



Leyte Women Microentrepreneurs Join Regional Trade Fair, Tap Into Metro Manila Market


Four GREAT Women-Project assisted women microentrepreneur groups from Leyte participated in the Bahandi Regional Trade Fair, at the Mega Trade Hall of SM Megamall along EDSA, Mandaluyong City last November 7-11, 2012.


Features in photo are the trade fair booths of GREAT Women Project-assisted women microentrepreneur groups at the Bahandi Regional Trade Fair (sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry) held at the Mega Trade Hall of SM Megamall along EDSA, Mandaluyong City last November 7-11, 2012. These are women representatives and products from the (1) Bubon Food Processors Association from Baybay City, (2) the Rural Improvement Club-Kalipi, (3) the Barugo Food Delicacies’ Producers Association and (4) UPWARD-Baybay City makers of woven products.

Women microentrepreneur (WME) groups showcased food products (including Leyte trademark products such as cassava chips, roscas and peanut cookies) and nito and buri woven products from Baybay, Biliran and Barugo municipalities. Many WME products have upscaled in quality as a result of the Philippine Commission on Women-GREAT Women Project (PCW-GWP), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and local government technical assistance on the application of good manufacturing practices and their enterprise development initiatives for women microentrepreneurs to package, label, extend shelf life of food products and improve design/durability of woven products. Event organizers have pegged estimated sales amounting to at least P11.73 million sales from the five-day activity.

Among participating GWP-assisted WME groups are the Bubon Food Processors Association from Baybay City represented WME Emilia Olazo, UPWARD-Baybay City makers of woven products represented by Gemma Padillo, the Rural Improvement Club-Kalipi, and the Barugo Food Delicacies’ Producers Association. These WME groups are also beneficiaries of the Rural Micro Enterprise Promotion Programme (RuMEPP), a seven-year project by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). There were some WME products from Capoocan also featured in the trade fair.

Within 2011 to 2012, GREAT Women Project assisted 722 women microentrepreneurs from 18 women microentrepreneur groups from Leyte and its pilot municipalities with enterprise-growing services of national and local government.