Some 900 women from Albay province were lifted out of poverty after engaging in a two-year intervention program led by an international non-government organization, WE-LEAP (Women Empowerment on Leadership in Economics Resources, Access, and Participation).
Organized into 61 self-help groups, these women from 47 barangays in Manito and Camalig embraced entrepreneurial ventures and community development initiatives with support from local and international partners.
Among the NGO’s collaborators include the Mayon Integrated Development Alternative Services (MIDAS) and the Bicol Center for Community Development (BCCD). The Spanish Cooperation Agency (AECID) has provided €2 million (approximately P120 million) to fund the initiative.
Angelita Lirio, a 43-year-old mother of seven from Sitio San Jose, Barangay Nagotgot, Manito, recalled how her small group of 17 women started with modest ambitions. Initially retailing a single sack of rice, they have now diversified into selling dried fish, cassava chips, brooms, and liniments.
Despite early skepticism from their community, Angelita’s group persevered. She said they did not listen to the critics, who doubted their ability to succeed,” she shared. Today, their locally produced dried fish or ‘danggit’ is a staple at SM City Legazpi Supermarket.
Alwin Nol, the village chief of Nagotgot, is a staunch supporter of these self-help groups. Impressed by their success, he is now considering encouraging the women to ramp up cassava chip production to cater to tourists visiting the nearby Nag-aso Lake, a renowned local attraction.
In Barangay Caguiba, 28-year-old Joan Murilla Pepaño reflected on her transformation from a housewife to a confident entrepreneur. With a business built on their home-grown lettuce, she and her group have ventured into producing vegetable salads, a source of pride and financial stability.
WE-LEAP Program Officer Carmela Lorayes highlighted the project’s focus on self-sufficiency and rights assertion.
“These livelihood activities were developed by the women themselves. They underwent training in business development, and they also have resource inventory mapping,” Lorayes said.
The women have not only received material and equipment support, but have also participated in learning sessions on positive parenting, maternal health, and early childhood care. Local barangay council members, or “duty bearers,” have been actively involved in addressing gender-based violence, fostering a safer and more supportive community.
As the WE-LEAP project nears its completion in July 2024, Educo Philippines Country Director Gemma Castillo-Goliat assured that their impact will endure. The women’s self-help groups have collectively saved over P2 million from their business ventures, securing additional income for their families.
Goliat urged partner agencies and local government units to continue supporting these initiatives.
“A violence-free and empowering community contributes to our mission across the globe, thereby cultivating an environment of gender equality and rights, equal opportunity, and protection,” Castillo-Goliat said.