GOVERNMENT-LED Women’s Business Council Philippines (WBCP) eyes the consolidation of Filipino women engaged in business, hopefully, to acquire basic data on their economic contribution.

The WBCP, which has roughly 300 members, is holding a conference this week on mentoring women entrepreneurs.

“That’s one of the problems we have: there’s no data, no statistics about women in business. This may be one of the things the council would address,” Figaro CEO Pacita Juan told reporters a day before the start of the “Women to Women Mentoring” at the Philippine Trade Training Center.

The WBCP was formed in 1997 by the Office of the Special Concerns of the Department of Trade and Industry. That year it had 150 women-led and -owned small, medium and large enterprises as members.

According to organizers, the conference is the council’s flagship program for the next two years aimed at encouraging more young Filipino women to become entrepreneurs.

“It is an innovative program of sharing best practices and lessons we learned in our businesses and, hopefully, share with other women entrepreneurs,” Juan said.

While there is lack of data on the participation of women in business and the general Philippine economy, Universal Motors Corp.’s Elizabeth Lee said Filipino women have easily slid in the role as entrepreneur.

“From sari-sari store to large businesses, women have proved they can manage business,” Lee added. She and Juan said nearly all women-managed businesses are in the advertising, garments, shipping, information technology, and consumer services sectors.

The only industry they’re not in is in mining, yet, Juan said.

Marian Santos Nash said aside from having a good time management, women can easily build a business if they are molded in a culture of entrepreneurship.

“Spirituality is also very important,” Nash added.

According to a Grant Thornton report, 97 percent of businesses in the Philippines “have women in senior management positions.”

This is the highest in the survey of the accounting firm released last year. The lowest is Japan, with only 25 percent.

“The Philippines is the only country where women have parity to men in senior management roles,” the Grant Thornton International Business Report said.

The survey, which covers the opinions of 7,200 privately held businesses in 32 countries, represents 81 percent of global gross domestic product.

The survey added that the Philippines comes out top with 50 percent of managerial positions being held by females, ahead of Brazil (42 percent) and two other Asian countries—Thailand (39 percent) and Hong Kong (35 percent).

‘Fund releases to stabilize rice supply will be accounted for’

ALL fund releases to ensure adequate supply of affordable rice in the country would be used only for the intended purpose and would be fully accounted for, Malacañang assured on Thursday.

THERE is no need to suspend the government’s biofuels program so that more agricultural lands can be devoted to the planting of rice and other food crops, according to Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr.

MILITARY prosecutors agreed on Thursday to review the charges that the Armed Forces lodged against 28 officers in a move that surprised the respondents themselves and prompted their lawyers to say that the military leadership is “softening.”

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—Pampanga Gov. Eddie “Among” Panlilio is in big trouble.

GOVERNMENT-LED Women’s Business Council Philippines (WBCP) eyes the consolidation of Filipino women engaged in business, hopefully, to acquire basic data on their economic contribution.

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—Armed with paint rollers, screw drivers and shovels, sailors from USS Frank Cable (AS-40), a submarine tender homeported in Guam, took time out from repairing warships to help build houses at a resettlement area here.

DAVAO CITY—The bus company that mainly serves the Davao City-Cotabato City route has terminated its trips in Kabacan, North Cotabato, starting Tuesday, because of extortion and security problems.