Winning Women

The program of the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) for women entrepreneurs has caught fire and given hope to the struggling Gabriela’s of Mandaue. 

Women In Need, Now Entrepreneurs and Role-models (W.I.N.N.E.R.S.) is an encouraging project that provides current women, micro- entrepreneurs opportunity to be trained and mainstream their endeavors. With very modest capitalization derived from borrowed money, scraped savings or a dip into a usurer’s pocket, these women took the dare to improve their lives in order to support their families. 

W.I.N.N.E.R.S. takes on the flavor of a reality show as it involves 27 Barangays of Mandaue City in this quest to find determined and capable women who have made it their business to survive and provide for their families using their own skills and audacity in life.          

There have been 79 entries to this course. Women, whose life stories are inspiring as they are awesome, embarrass those of us who complain about having so little when we have a bit more.

MCCI Officer and Chair of the W.I.N.N.E.R.S., Carmelle de Pio –Salvador finds her women to be ”strong and determined. Their day to day living is a test of their determination to survive and improve their lives.”

The entries in W.I.N.N.E.R.S. were given inputs on how to make a business plan and how to manage their small livelihood by the Kapamilya Negosyo Na (KNN) of the University of San Carlos. 

“They were never given a chance to be trained. They were so attentive. Walay nag ligoy-ligoy. Walay nag cutting-classes. They sat through the training from start to finish. No one left to attend to their business. They were serious about their learning.” Carmelle shared. 

Out of the 79 participating women entrepreneurs, only three will be chosen as top winners who will be provided with additional capital for the business. The women will also be given a make-over to make them look like the real winners they are. In the first eliminations, 27 women with the best stories of courage and resolve will be featured in a publication for the W.I.N.N.E.R.S.