5,000 women entrepreneurs undergo STAR training

MANILA, Philippines - Close to 5,000 women owners of sari-sari stores nationwide can now have access to various microfinancing institutions through the STAR project of Coca-Cola Company and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Adel Tamano, vice president for public affairs and communications of Coca-Cola Philippines, said around 5,000 women entrepreneurs from the cities of Mandaluyong, Taguig, Pasig, San Juan, Marikina and Manila have completed the Sari-Sari Store Training and Access to Resources or STAR program of Coca-Cola Philippines.

The women entrepreneurs underwent a two-month training on running a sari-sari store. They learn how to better run their businesses from merchandising to cash flow and inventory management.

“The participants in the STAR Program Christmas Convention have graduated from four business modules and would then be entering the next phase of the program, which is the access to resources,” Tamano told The STAR.

At yesterday’s gathering at the Andres Bonifacio Integrated School in Mandaluyong City, the women entrepreneurs were introduced to officials of microfinance partners, including the Alay sa Kaunlaran, Inc. (for Luzon); Negros Women for Tomorrow (for the Visayas and Palawan); and the First Community Cooperative (for Mindanao).

“They would be given access to new merchandising and store assets as well as other forms of social development interventions,” Tamano said.

He noted the TESDA training has significantly increased the sales of the sari-sari stores.

In 2010, the Coca-Cola Company made a global commitment to empower five million women by 2020.

In the Philippines, over 30,000 women have benefited from the project, according to Tamano.

“Coca-Cola recognizes the significant role of women in the development of business and communities. In the case of the Philippines, we always find sari-sari stores in every corner managed by women,” he said.

“By providing the sari-sari stores with merchandising support, we hope that this will help drive customer traffic to their stores, which we hope will increase their sales,” he added, noting that beverage sales account for 30 to 40 percent of the sari-sari stores’ revenues.