STAR by Coca-Cola Philippines

Last May 04, 2017 at Circa 1900, We, the media, had a dinner meeting with Coca - Cola's Vice President for Public Affairs and Communications, Atty. Adel Tamano. He oriented us of Coca-Cola's STAR (Sari - Sari Store Training and Access to Resources) program that gathers 1,000 women entrepreneurs in Cebu.

The STAR Program in the Philippines has expanded to include women in agriculture, distressed and repatriated women overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) through the Overseas Workers Welfare Association of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), beneficiaries of the government conditional cash transfer program of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development - National Capital Region, women micro-entrepreneurs under the Kapatid Program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and GONegosyo, and women in disaster - stricken areas.

Coca-Cola Philippines launched the STAR Program in 2011, in line with the 5by20 global initiative of the Coca-Cola Company to economically empower 5 million women within its value chain by 2020.

The Coca-Cola 5by20 STAR Program was implemented in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). The STAR Program is designed for women micro - entrepreneurs who owned and manage sari-sari stores or carinderias. The Program hopes to address the barriers these women face by helping them achieve business success. The STAR Program has three components: access to training, access to resources, and access to peer mentoring.

To date, the STAR Program has 390 accredited facilitators teaching and training women retailers to become better entrepreneurs. The Program is being implemented in over 47 locations nationwide and has reached more than 80,000 women

Aside from TESDA, partners include Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines, Alay sa Kaunlaran, Inc.(ASKI), First Community Cooperative(FICCO), Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation, Inc. (NWTF), ASA Philippines, and National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO).

Coca-Cola, with its 19 manufacturing facilities in the Philippines, and over 10,000 - strong labor force, is proactive in promoting women empowerment through 5by20.

Quick Facts:

• The Sari-Sari Store Training and Access to Resources (STAR) Program is part of the global 5by20 Initiative of Coca-Cola to economically empower 5 million women by 2020.

• Objective:                                                                                                                      
• Provide an enabling environment for women in the retail sector to achieve economic empowerment  and overcome the barriers they face to business success.

• STAR scholars are provided with access to business skills and gender sensitivity training, access to resources, and peer mentoring support.

        GOAL: Empower 200,00 Filipino women by 2020