By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
Batac
City—Over 200 women entrepreneurs show their
strength as they gathered at the Mariano Marcos State University Teatro
Ilocandia, this city to share their experiences and at the same time, exhibit
their world-class products.
Featuring at least five
successful women entrepreneurs and one women organization being assisted by the
MMSU extension department, the forum and exhibit aims to empower more women to
engage themselves in business enterprise. They are: Edita Dacuycuy, owner of
REFMAD dragon farm and resort in Burgos; Agnes Asuncion, proprietor of Agnes
dragon fruit herbal soap in Currimao; Sara Dabucon of SCUPYND’s food products
who is engaged in rice coffee making business in Banna; Suerte Mia Soriano of
Lucky Theo’s Food Products in Binacag, Banna; Purisima Torralba of Shernick
Dragon Fruit Herbal Soap in Badoc; and the women organization behind the
shellcraft-making in Pagudpud town.
Each of them has a unique and
inspiring story to tell with a common goal of helping more women to rise above
the challenge of poverty and become active partners of development in their
respective communities.
Ranging from a variety of
processed food products such as seaweed noodles, baked products, yam
cheesecake, mango jam, dragon fruit tea, wine and rice coffee among others,
shellcraft making and a whole lot more, Dr. Cherrie Melanie Diego, Director of
the Commission on Higher Education who served as guest of honor and speaker
lauded the entrepreneurial spirit of women in Ilocos Norte which makes them at
par with male counterparts.
“Women now are on the rise.
What a man can do, a woman can also do. Women are no longer in the margins and
not a subject of stereotyping because we have become active partners of society
and not just recipient of a society,” Ms. Diego said as she recalled the days
when women were apparently left behind because they are not part of the
economic agenda.
However, with the promotion
of gender and development, women became more empowered as they now share the
same rights as men. Among these include the right to make own choices, the
right to take control of oneself and the right to become partners of
development.
After the opening of exhibit
and testimonies from women entrepreneurs, the participants were also given
actual demonstrations and tips on how to process various food products which
they may also apply when they go back home or if ever they may wish to pursue a
new business.
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