By
Dominic I. Sanchez
ZAMBOANGA
CITY – Successful businesswomen from
different cities in the region encouraged other women to start up their own
business and take lead roles like the male counterparts.
Five
women-entrepreneurs were on Tuesday (March 24) gathered by the Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI) at the Garden Orchid Hotel here to share with the
media, and with the public their experiences as businesswomen and how they were
able to succeed in their fields.
“Women
are now in the same footing as men, and this opens up more opportunities for us
to achieve,” shared Jocelyn Gaso, a bottled sardines manufacturer and exporter
from Dipolog City. “We should not allow ourselves to always remain behind the
shadow of the men.”
Gaso
has been supplying “Spanish” sardines in 17 Robinsons branches nationwide and
has been a recipient of many trainings. “I’m a nurse by profession and I knew
nothing of sardines manufacturing,” she said. “However, I encouraged myself to
learn.” She is confident that if ever the time comes when her employees would
leave, she would still be able to continue the business.
The
other women attending the said gathering were Mercedes Lourdes Quisumbing,
president of the Pagadian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc.,
Ma. Theresa Alano of Basilan Estates, Inc., Angelita Ilul of Angie’s Yakan
Cloth-Zamboanga City and Maricel De Leon, a real estate developer in Ipil,
Zamboanga Sibugay.
Ilul,
on the other hand, said that she is grateful for the trainings conducted by
DTI. Ilul has been attending free DTI trade fairs yearly to promote her Yakan
products, and more and more customers have been enticed by the beauty of the
products especially those coming from the hotel and interior design industries.
Like
Ilul, Gaso also shared her gratitude to DTI for helping her promote her
business. “Whenever they invite me for a training, I find no reason to pass,”
she said, adding that she owes much of her success to said trainings and trade
fairs.
Gaso
emphasized that women should see themselves as men’s equal. For her part, she
and her husband have continuously and successfully manage their business
together. “We are equal,” she said.
Basilan
Estate’s Ma. Theresa Alano likewise said she did not see men as threat in
business, but rather as partners. Alano has been a successful dealer of mango
and copra products.