Arroyo Joins World Women's Day Celeb

MANILA - In line with the celebration of International Women’s Day, President Gloria Arroyo vowed Thursday to strengthen women’s economic empowerment by initiating the growth of entrepreneurship through micro-finance programs and facilities for the government employees’ cooperatives.

In her speech at the 2007 National Women’s Day celebration at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila earlier in the day, Arroyo said the micro-finance scheme would be the government’s priority project that would focus on this year’s theme, "Kabuhayan ng Kababaihan."

"Sa pagpasok ng bagong Kongreso (Congress) inanunsiyo ko na, magpapasok din tayo ng batas para sa dagdag na suweldo, pero sa ibabaw noon puwede nating gawing proyekto between now and March 8, 2008 ang micro-finance para sa mga empleyado ng pamahalaan," she told the more than 5,000 women attendees coming from all over the country.

Arroyo ordered the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW) chairperson Myrna Yao and People’s Credit and Finance Corporation lawyer Noel Poso to coordinate with other government agencies for the initiation of micro-finance programs and facilities.

She pointed out that the government is addressing poverty reduction and unemployment by encouraging the growth of entrepreneurship through its micro-finance programs and facilities."The plan ensures that women who engage in small, medium and micro-enterprises are given access to credit, trainings and micro-finance programs," she explained.

The administration’s micro-finance program, which gives small loans to the poor, has penetrated all provinces and cities and 97 percent of municipalities nationwide.

A total of 1,410 institutions with about 2,200 branches have lent P52.69 billion from July 2004 to September 2006, creating more than 800,000 jobs.

The United Nations has cited the Philippines’ national microfinance council as a model among over 100 countries for having given access to credit to some 4 million borrowers representing 88 percent of poor households.

Arroyo thanked the Canadian government through its Ambassador to the Philippines Peter Sutherland for the P350 million grant intended for the execution of the Gender Responsive Economic Actions for the Transformation of Women (GREAT Women) project.

This year’s celebration highlights women’s economic rights and economic empowerment to strengthen the implementation of the United Nations Convention for the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

The National Women’s Day is an annual gathering of women from government, non-government, civil society, private sector and international communities to celebrate the gains and call attention to remaining issues and challenges confronting Filipino women.