SANTIAGO—For the first time in an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Forum, advancing women’s issues and enhancing their contributions to sustainable economic growth have become major thematic pursuits by a host economy.
With this advocacy for Apec 2019, host economy Chile welcomed delegates to the Annual Women and the Economy Forum (WEF) held in the seaside city of La Serena from September 30 to October 5.
Composed of meetings of the Apec Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy, the meeting of Apec Minister on Women, as well as workshops and seminars organized by member-economies, the WEF also saw ministers endorse the proposed Apec Roadmap on Women and Sustainable Growth.
Philippine Commission on Women Chairman Dr. Rhodora Bucoy headed the Philippine delegation to the WEF, accompanied by Office of International Economic Relations Acting Assistant Secretary Jesusa Susana Paez, PCW Officer in Charge and Deputy Director Cecile B. Gutierrez, Apec National Secretariat Assistant Larisse Lausingco, Interior Assistant Secretary Marjorie Jalosjos, Trade Assistant Secretary Leila Rivera, Department of Trade and Industry Region 7 Director Asteria Caberte, Department of Agriculture Director Remielyn Recoter, as well as PCW Supervising Gender Awareness and Development Specialist and Focal Point for WEF Pamela Susara.
Several advocacies of the Philippines on women were highlighted during the forum. Together with Chile and Chinese Taipei, the Philippines developed the “Policy Toolkit on Promoting Gender Inclusion in Smart Agriculture,” aimed at providing guidance and practical experiences to address gender concerns in smart agriculture under three main clusters: enabling environment; sustainable and inclusive development; as well as technological innovation.
The Philippine delegation, likewise, welcomed and celebrated the prominent success of Filipino women for being awarded prizes for their work and winning competitions held on the occasion of the WEF.
Dr. Veronica Ramirez was awarded the first prize in the inaugural “Apec Healthy Women, Healthy Economies Research Prize” for her study, “Common Health Problems of Women Overseas Filipino Workers.” Ramirez is the holder of the University of Asia and the Pacific Center for Research and Communication Professorial Chairman for Migration and Overseas Filipino Work. As first-prize winner, she was invited to return to Chile this month to present her work at the 2019 Apec CEO Summit in this city.
Meanwhile, Jessica Moldez Wu, also from the Philippines, competed with her start-up Lesstics, and was awarded $3,000 for her work during the Women in STEM Global Innovation through the Science and Technology Pitch Competition. Lesstics is a start-up Moldez-Wu cofounded to help solve the garbage problem in her city. It recycles single-use plastics and converts them into different reusable object, such as floor tiles, insulators, Lego bricks and many more.
The 2019 APEC Business Efficiency and Success Target Award on women entrepreneurship was awarded to Dalareich Polot, general manager of Dalareich Tableya. Regarded as the “Tableya Princess of Bohol,” Polot also serves as chairman of the Bohol Cacao Development Council.
For its part, the Philippines also acknowledged member-economies for their active participation in implementing the Boracay Action Agenda. The Philippines will be releasing a study of APE’s overall progress over the past five years regarding the BAA and shall be presented in the Global MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) Forum to be held in the island-paradise in 2020 under the theme, “Bringing the MSME initiative back to where it started.” DFA
Image credits: DFA