Where women are concerned, the Philippines remains a traditional, conservative society, but tough economic times are changing all that. Whereas once, women were expected to stay at home to raise the children, today economic necessity has brought many of them to the workforce and not just as employees.
"Women have taken a more proactive role in society," says Lucita Lazo, director general of the Philippine government's Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda).
"Filipina entrepreneurs play a vital role in the growth of the SME sector, simply because there are more women going into small business, whether they are in a backyard business - such as pastries, handicrafts, candlemaking, cosmetics - or other types of businesses that require higher training," she says.
Lazo says that women own and operate 34% of the registered firms in the Philippines. Women-owned firms are found in all sectors of the economy, but they are more likely to be concentrated in the service-based or cottage industries.
"In the Philippines, the highest concentration of women-owned firms is in the hotel and restaurant sector, followed by trade and services. In the manufacturing sector, they are concentrated in the food and beverage sector and in the production of garments and crafts," says Winston Padojinog, economist at Manila's University of Asia and the Pacific.
Being a woman in what is traditionally a man's world can be challenging, says Mel Dominquez, president of Dominguez Marketing Communications. She started out by juggling her time between raising three children and making ends meet as a struggling public relations consultant. "I am what you'd call an 'accidental career woman' because I had no choice but to plan for a more financially stable future for my children."
It was that same incentive that prompted Dominquez to try her hand at entrepreneurship back in 1995. With no capital, she managed to obtain a printer, fax and photocopy machines, and a desktop computer through exchange deals with her first clients.
The company's humble beginnings include using the dining table in her home as a workspace. "I could only afford to pay for two part-time staff, a secretary to answer our telephone in the afternoons and a messenger who reported twice a week."
Dominguez's tenacity and business sense not only kept her company going, but has seen it thrive. With 15 employees to date, her firm now regularly serves such well-known technology clients as Cisco Systems Philippines, Compaq Computer Philippines, Veritas Software, and EMC Philippines, among others.
Dominguez says that to a certain extent, being a woman in the business world is not without some advantages. "It does work to your advantage at times, especially during negotiations," she says. "But charm works only for five minutes. To get past the 'I am woman' issue, you have to prove that you mean business and that you have something to offer that is of value to their business."
Creativity and innovation are two traits that Ana Maria Tanchanco has upheld to make a mark in the male-dominated world of Philippine business.
A former fashion designer, Tanchanco raised about 600,000 pesos (US$11,700), hired four employees, and launched a kiosk selling popcorn, peanuts and French fries at Makati city's Greenbelt movie complex. Taters was different from other fast-food outlets targeting movie-goers in that it offered snacks using low-fat canola oil and cholesterol-free ingredients. The recipe has proved successful and Tanchanco now oversees 10 branches of Taters in Metro Manila and employs 115 people. From kiosks, the company has expanded into restaurant-cum-bars, offering more American-style dishes.
Tanchanco is personally in charge of Taters's key operations - from promotion and purchasing to research and publicity. She says her experience at the helm of the Taters chain has taught her the value of discipline, analysis, organisation, and time management - and it's just as well. As fellow entrepreneur Dominguez quips: "Women are expected to be a good mother, a doting wife, housemaid, cook, accountant and still come out looking like Nicole Kidman or else your husband might stray."
The government is becoming increasingly aware of the contribution that women entrepreneurs make to the economy and they are backing this up with funding programs.
For instance, a joint project between the Philippine and Japanese governments and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) aims to increase the economic opportunities of Filipino women. To be implemented over the next two years starting this month, the Japanese government will provide US$319,000 in funding, while the Philippine Department of Labour and Employment will provide US$100,000.
Lazo says the project aims to provide strategic support mechanisms for empowering Filipino women and ultimately to bring down the soaring unemployment rate of 11.4%.
She says Tesda also offers a package of training courses aimed at improving women's technical skills. "This will help generate employment for women and boost their economic productivity," she says. "(Filipino) women can now lead, manage, direct, and participate in variable modes and manners."
Dominguez says that women in Hong Kong and Singapore "tend to be more career-oriented and were nurtured to be that way in their early years". But Filipina women entrepreneurs are mostly forced by circumstances to be career-oriented, she adds. "Filipina entrepreneurs are still evolving. But I also think that it is the Filipina entrepreneur who doesn't give up. That's because we come from a country that bore witness to all sorts of tragedy. This makes us more determined, single-minded in our goals and passionate about what we do."