Mandaue chamber out to find winners among working women

SOME 20 micro-entrepreneurs from various barangays in Mandaue City will vie for the title, P50,000 cash and other prizes in this year’s search for W.I.N.N.E.Rs (Women in Need, Now Entrepreneurs and Role models).

If she will win, Marilyn Pajal, 44, from Barangay Alang-Alang in Mandaue City said she will use the cash prize as an additional capital to improve her small sari-sari store, which has become the family’s source of income and pays for her children’s education.

During the press conference on Thursday, Pajal said she started with only P150 capital for her sidewalk business in 1989. The capital she used was from the P1,000 savings she got during her marriage.

With the steady income from her sidewalk business, Pajal said the family saved enough to buy a trisikad, or a bicycle with a sidecar. They then converted their sidewalk business into a rolling store. Using the savings they got from this small business, Pajal said they were able to get a space near a school, a stall in the public market
and later on bought a jeepney. Unfortunately, the jeepney caught fire last July.

“The P50,000 cash prize will be a huge help to us micro-entrepreneurs. If ever I’ll win, I will use it to further improve my business,” Pajal said.

Gelyn Retuya, 27, the youngest candidate and who hails from Barangay Tipolo, is also hopeful to bring home the title and cash prize. She said she wants young people to get inspired by her story and learn from the challenges she went through.

Since she joined the UNO Networking, Retuya said she was able to open an Internet café and also acquired a car.

Top 20

The W.I.N.N.E.Rs search is a quest for model women micro-entrepreneurs from Mandaue City who are supporting their families and are struggling to rise from poverty through their business ventures.

The Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) has chosen the top 20 micro-entrepreneurs out of the 70 micro-entrepreneurs endorsed by the different barangays.

These micro-entrepreneurs went through the Basic Entrepreneurial Skills Training conducted by the St. Theresa’s College of Business Administration Department and basic banking, taught by the Rizal Banking Commercial Corp. (RCBC).

They were also given a personality development seminar by Red Logo Direct Sales; free gowns and accessories by Gaisano Grand Mall Mandaue; shoes by Lipstick; and business plan mentoring and cooking demonstration by San Miguel Kawanggawa.

W.I.N.N.E.R Season 2 chairperson and MCCI vice-president Carmel de Pio-Salvador said exposing these women to various activities like these will empower and inspire them to become better entrepreneurs.

This year’s season will also have the involvement of the Barangay Development Council (BDC).

Salvador said they want to recognize the efforts and initiative of the BDCs on women empowerment. The support of the BDC will have a huge bearing on the criteria for judging at 20 percent, on top of the candidate’s inspirational story at 30 percent; the question and answer portion is 25 percent and personality and self-confidence, 25 percent.

Dream, work

The first runner-up will receive P30,000 and the second runner-up will take home a cash prize of P20,000. The partner-BDC of this season’s winner will be given a motorcycle.

MCCI president Philip Tan said programs like this help grow entrepreneurship in the country. He advised the candidates never to lose hope, especially in times of adversity, but to continue dreaming big and working hard.

Tan recalled he was 19 years old when he started working as a gasoline tank boy while finishing his degree. Tan is now the president and chief executive officer of Wellmade Motors and Development Corp.

“Poverty is truly not a hindrance to success, only if we work hard,” he said.

He advised the candidates to constantly remind their children of how hard life has been for them so they would be inspired and encouraged to become better individuals.

The grand finals of W.I.N.N.E.Rs Season 2 will be on Aug. 28 at the J Center Mall.