Manila, Philippines–Coca-Cola Philippines, in cooperation with the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), launch the Women’s Month Celebration with the theme: Juana ang Tatag Mo ay Tatag Natin sa Pagbangon at Pagsulong— a celebration of the Filipino women’s resiliency and the country’s journey towards disaster-recovery.

Kicking-off the month-long event is an attempt to set the record of the most participated women symbol formation at the Quirino Grandstand, March 08, with Coca-Cola and PCW gathering over 10,000 participants from the national and local government, academic institutions, and civil society organizations.

“Our Women’s Month Celebration aims to echo a united voice in valuing the indispensable role of women in recovery, progress, and nation-building. Our line-up of activities for this month shows the Company’s commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of Filipinas,” says Atty. Adel Tamano, Vice-President for Public Affairs and Communications, Coca-Cola Philippines.

The active participation of Coca-Cola Philippines in the Women’s Month Celebration is aligned with its global mandate to empower 5 million women by 2020, with a program branded 5by20.

Locally, the company has partnered with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), to create the Sari-Sari Store Training and Access to Resources (STAR) program, with gender-sensitive modules customized for Filipino women micro-entrepreneurs. It mainly aims to transform women sari-sari storeowners into becoming better entrepreneurs through a combination of components that help them overcome barriers to business success. The components of the program include: (1) provision of scholarship for formal training on Basic Entrepreneur Skills and Gender Sensitivity; (2) access to financial resources; and (3) access to store merchandising support.

The 5by20 STAR Program is anchored on the premise that Filipina variety store owners play a crucial role in the economic development of small communities, through their businesses. It is currently assisting more than 20,000 women in the country, including those who have been affected by Typhoon Yolanda in the Visayas region.

“Coca-Cola is in a unique position to help women retailers because of the nature of our business and our operations. Through inclusion in our value chain, we ensure that our beneficiaries would grow along with the company. For many years, we have been championing well-being, women empowerment, and water stewardship, but this time, we also aim to assist in the country’s recovery from Yolanda by leveraging on our existing projects such as 5by20,” says Tamano.

To date, the Company along with the USAID has committed to helping 1,500 sari-sari storeowners in the Visayan region rebuild, rehabilitate, and restock their businesses.

“The human symbol puts the spotlight on how women are poised to become the social and economic power houses of the future and how much organizations like Coca-Cola and PCW value their contributions,” concludes Tamano