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| (L-R) UN Women Philippines Country Program Coordinator Athena Denise Galao led the discussion during the first-ever Asia-Pacific UN Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Awards forum with the panel composed of women leaders including Infosys BPM Philippines Country Head Ahyee Campos representing GoDigital Pilipinas, Connected Women CEO Agnes Gervacio, National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Undersecretary Atty. Krystal Lyn Uy, and PLDT Chief Sustainability Officer and Madiskarte Moms PH (MMPH) Advocate Melissa Vergel De Dios. (Image Source: iOrbit News Online/PLDT Inc.) |
Madiskarte Moms PH (MMPH), the online community of women and mompreneurs in the Philippines, took centerstage at the first-ever Asia-Pacific UN Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Awards. The forum and awards ceremony celebrated companies championing gender equality in the region, and highlighted critical topics such as women entrepreneurship and digital inclusivity. UN Women Philippines Country Program Coordinator Athena Denise Galao led the discussion with the panel composed of women leaders including PLDT Chief Sustainability Officer and MMPH Advocate Melissa Vergel De Dios, Infosys BPM Philippines Country Head Ahyee Campos representing GoDigital Pilipinas, National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Undersecretary Atty. Krystal Lyn Uy, and Connected Women CEO Agnes Gervacio.
Women in business
When people think of “women in business”, they immediately think of women executives working for big companies in finance or retail rather than the grassroots entrepreneurs and community leaders who are often the driving forces behind local economies. The global COVID-19 pandemic revealed the untapped potential of these women through Madiskarte Moms PH. And four years after its inception, this online community of almost 200,000 mompreneurs from different parts of the country continues to promote digital upskilling, enhance entrepreneurial skills, and expand access to community support for its members to start and grow their home-based businesses. PLDT Home, which supported the online community of moms from its founding, helped these small businesses not just to survive but to flourish during their most challenging times. De Dios shared that it is “all about the creativity and innovation of mompreneurs” as she relates the story of an awardee at the 2024 Gawad Madiskarte, PLDT Home’s annual recognition and awards for the best businesses by mompreneurs. “This mom needed to buy milk for her child which cost her the only money she had — Php3,000. Not only was her budget just enough, but it was also unfortunately stolen or lost. Instead of being overcome by helplessness, this clever mom sold her old clothes and made Php7,000. This mom turned an unfortunate incident into the beginning of her business called HTP or Half The Price. Now that she had capital for a business, she called up all her friends to put their unwanted clothes together and sell them. From that Php7,000, her income is now seven figures,” said De Dios. PLDT Home’s advocacy for inclusivity for women in business and in tech goes hand in hand with the continuous expansion of its fiber network across the country and support for programs on internet education for the whole family. De Dios added, “We’ve given masterclasses and lessons that teach women how to create their own websites, how to avoid scams and fraud. But, as I say, it takes a whole nation. Now, the Madiskarte Moms teach new members so that they can go forward as well.”
Breaking gender stereotypes
Breaking conventional gender roles and mindsets has also allowed the government to map out an inclusivity plan for women. NEDA Undersecretary Atty. Uy said the Philippine Development Plan or “the nation’s blueprint” includes strategies to mainstream gender equality in government. Galao, the forum's moderator, raised a valid point on women who work from home still bearing increased domestic responsibilities, asking, “How do we prevent housework from becoming another barrier for women’s advancement?” GoDigital Pilipinas' Campos said, “We need to take away the mindset that home care is only for women. Unpaid home care is not allowing women in that kind of working model to really succeed. And so participation of the husband in those conversations needs to be more active and the women need to be more forthcoming — it cannot be assumed that it’s understood.”
Will AI take away jobs?
As AI becomes more intelligent — by learning from humans! — the inevitable question for every employee is: will my employer replace me with a computer program? Not likely, according to Gervacio, stating, “When you embark on digital transformation and your goal is to do headcount reduction, you’re doing it all wrong. Because the goal of digital transformation is to make sure that you deliver efficiencies as well as ensure that your business is competitive.” That future may not always be in the office, according to De Dios, saying, “Sometimes success is not being an executive in the office but being an entrepreneur. Today’s success is defined differently. We can be role models to the little girls that look up to us, and we can show them that they can dream. It also starts with education so that at a young stage the stereotypes are broken at the formation stage.”
