-Filipino women entrepreneurs are increasingly moving beyond local markets, with nearly one-third of members of a nationwide women’s business network already engaged in cross-border trade.
This, as the Philippines prepares to host an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit aimed at expanding market access for women-led enterprises.
Of the 645 women entrepreneurs currently part of the Women Strong Network, about 30 percent are already involved in cross-border trade, according to Mylene Abiva, Asean Access ambassador.
The network, supported by the Women’s Business Council Philippines (WomenBizPh), is seeking to help more female-led businesses transition from informal enterprises into formal, market- and export-ready businesses capable of competing in regional and global markets.
Abiva said the initiative grew out of a 2020 survey and focus group discussion that examined how women affected by the Covid-19 pandemic could transition into emerging ‘sunrise industries.’
What started with 120 participants representing 13 of the Department of Trade and Industry’s 16 regional offices has since evolved into a nationwide platform providing entrepreneurs with trade exhibitions, online selling opportunities, capacity-building programs, financing, and business-matching opportunities.
The effort is gaining added significance as the Philippines prepares to host the Asean Women Economic Summit on November 10 at Okada Manila, which is expected to bring together about 1,000 participants, including around 300 international delegates composed of business leaders, ministers and other representatives from Asean member-states and partner economies.
The summit will carry the theme ‘Weaving the Asean Future: Women Driving Innovation, Integration, and Inclusion.’
It will be accompanied by a three-day expo from November 10 to 12, where curated exhibitors from the 11 Asean member-states and other participating economies will showcase market- and export-ready products.
Business-matching activities will also connect entrepreneurs with potential buyers and business partners.
Rosemarie Bosch-Ong, president of WomenBizPh, said the event gives the Philippines an opportunity to showcase the capabilities of Filipino women entrepreneurs while positioning the country as an open and competitive destination for business and investment.
‘This is a good opportunity for the Philippines to showcase their products, and of course, to showcase our talent, and also to tell the Asean region that the Philippines is open for business,’ Bosch-Ong said in an interview on August 14 following the Women Strong Network Hybrid Trade Fair in Cebu.
Building export capacity
For WomenBizPh, however, gaining access to foreign markets requires more than putting products on an international exhibition floor.
Abiva said the organization works with entrepreneurs to strengthen their capacity, improve market readiness, and connect them with financing and potential buyers. Through the Asean Access portal, women entrepreneurs can create business profiles and access potential business-matching opportunities within Asean as well as in markets such as the European Union and China.
Abiva cited the case of a Philippine wild honey entrepreneur from Antipolo who sources honey from Indigenous communities in Mindanao. After participating in capacity-building programs and receiving export-related support, the entrepreneur was able to expand into the European market.
Other examples include a Bohol-based entrepreneur whose two-in-one necklace product has reached the US market and businesses producing sustainable products from crushed plastic.
These cases illustrate how small enterprises can use digital platforms, capacity-building programs and business networks to move beyond local markets and tap international demand.
Abiva said the program also helps entrepreneurs address one of the biggest challenges facing small businesses: access to capital.
WomenBizPh facilitates access to financing, including no-collateral loans through fintech platforms, allowing entrepreneurs to obtain resources needed to expand their operations and prepare for larger markets.
Regional market opportunity
THE coming Asean summit is expected to provide another avenue for these enterprises to establish commercial connections across the region.
Rhoda Castro-Caliwara, chairperson of WomenBizPh, said the summit will focus on four major pillars: the digital economy, inclusive innovation, advancing the green transition and global dialogue.
Discussions will also cover artificial intelligence, the future workforce, the care economy and health innovation.
A ministerial dialogue involving trade leaders from Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore will also be held as the Asean chairmanship transitions from the Philippines to Singapore.
Beyond trade, the summit will examine policies that could strengthen women’s participation in the regional economy.
Abiva said the discussions will include the care economy and women’s health, including the economic impact of critical health concerns affecting women and the policies needed to support women’s economic empowerment under the Asean Vision 2030.
For Filipino entrepreneurs, the expo component could provide a more immediate route to regional market opportunities.
The Cebu edition of the Women Strong Network Hybrid Trade Fair featured 22 exhibitors from Cebu, Mindanao, Metro Manila and other parts of the Visayas.
Abiva said exhibitors are carefully curated, with emphasis on entrepreneurs whose products are already market- and export-ready.
Bosch-Ong said the Philippine pavilion will be among the highlights of the Asean expo, providing Filipino entrepreneurs with a platform to showcase their products to regional and international participants.
She said the Philippines should maximize its role as host to demonstrate the capabilities of Filipino entrepreneurs and highlight the country’s talent and hospitality.
‘We have so many talents,’ Bosch-Ong said.
For WomenBizPh, the push to expand women-led enterprises is not simply about increasing the number of businesses owned by women. It is also about widening participation in trade and ensuring that the economic benefits of entrepreneurship reach communities.
‘When women have business, of course, the community prosper, and the economy will prosper,’ Bosch-Ong said.