ILOILO CITY, April 15 (PNA) -– This highly urbanized city on Tuesday signed with two other local government units in the province of Iloilo a tripartite memorandum of agreement with Coca-Cola Philippines and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for the empowerment of women through training on entrepreneurial skills.
Signatories to the MOA are Atty. Adel Tamayo, vice president for Public Affairs and Communications of Coca-Cola Philippines, TESDA Secretary and Director General Emmanuel Joel Villanueva and chiefs of beneficiary local government units namely Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, Zarraga Mayor John Tarrosa and Oton Mayor Vicente Flores Jr.
Witnesses include Taytay sa Kauswagan Inc. Executive Director Angelo Solarte, TESDA OIC RD Toni June Tamayo, Mathilde Octavio of Iloilo City, DWSD RD Evelyn Macapobre, Marie Prudence Villareal of Zarraga and Atty. Carina Flores of Oton.
Emily Obado, focal person of Coke-TESDA S3tar (sari-sari store) program, said the Iloilo MOA is part of the 2014-2020 program on women entrepreneurship by chalking up 5 millions sari-sari stores nationwide.
In Iloilo, 500 selected women sari-sari store owners will benefit from the program which was piloted in Bacolod City in 2013.
On the other hand, the Coke-TESDA S3tar program is preparing for an ISO certification of excellence. (PNA)
LAP/AJP/LCP/VLO