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PCW and DENR launch the GREEN Kit to boost women enterprises


Launch of the GREEN Kit. PCW Deputy Director Loren Umali and GREAT Women Project.

The Philippine Commission on Women-GREAT Women Project (PCW-GWP) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) recently launched a comprehensive sustainable livelihood kit to boost women’s enterprises.

The Gender-Responsive ENR-Based Enterprises in the Philippines, popularly labeled as the GREEN Kit, was officially launched at the Pagsibol: Celebrating 2011 as the International Year of Forests event at the Makiling Botanic Garden last April 27. The GREEN Kit Launch was part of the National Year of the Forests Activities by the College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB).

DENR-Forest Management Bureau (FMB) produced the GREEN Kit as a major output of its partnership with PCW-GWP. The partnership enables FMB to implement its Support to Micro and Small Enterprises: the Community Livelihood Assistance Project to promote interventions that merge gender, enterprise and environment to effect women’s economic empowerment. The GWP receives technical and funding support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

“The GREEN Kit promotes enterprises to be gender-responsive, ecologically stable and economically viable livelihoods. PCW believes microenterprises can readily succeed when they have these three elements,v Deputy Director Loren Umali said in a speech representing Philippine Commission on Women Chairperson Remedios Rikken.

Microentrepreneurs learn about profitable and sustainable livelihood for communities in the upland, lowland-urban and coastal areas. They can also find gender roles within livelihood technologies, project costing and income projections for specific livelihood technologies, using the GREEN Kit.

“With the launch of the GREEN Kit, PCW is propagating the message that business owners and operators must be mindful of responsibilities in preserving the environment, observing gender equality and in addressing other social issues in managing the enterprise, ” Deputy Director Umali added.

She urged LGU officials and business owners to use the kit in starting, upscaling and maintaining eco-friendly and gender-responsive enterprises. The GREEN Kit shall be distributed to GREAT Women Project partners this year.

Deputy Director Umali, GREAT Women Project Luvy Villanueva and FMB OIC Director Neria Andin handed over copies to distinguished guests, including Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, House Representative Victor Yu of the House Committee on Reforestation, UPLB Chancellor Dr. Luis Rey Velasco, DENR Undersecretary Manuel Gerochi and Vice Mayor Josephine Sumangil from Los Banos, Laguna.