Bilang suporta sa kampanya para sa Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) na pinalalaganap sa buong bansa at buong mundo, nakilahok ang SDCC sa Philippine Commission on Women (PCW)-Organized Activities sa pagdiwang ng Buwan ng Kababaihan sa pamamagitan ng kasuotan o palamuting lila tuwing Martes noong Marso, at sa pamimigay ng SDCC 500ml Sinag- Dishwasing Liquid sa mga naka-adornong gumawa ng selfie kasama si Nanay Issa (Brand Ambasadress ng SDCC) sa alinmang tanggapan ng SDCC.
Tinatapos ng 2022 sub-theme, “Agenda ng Kababaihan Tungo sa Kaunlaran” ang palagiang temang pang-anim na taon mula 2017-2022 na “We Make Change for Women.” Ang panawagan sa mga stakeholders mula sa pamahalaan o pribadong sector sa pagdiriwang ngayong taon ay 1) alamin ang mga nakamit tungo sa GEWE at iwasan ang pagbalik sa dati bunga ng Pandemyang COVID-19 at ibang isyung pambayan, 2) palakasin ang loob na gumawa ng mga aksyon upang palaganapin ang gender-responsive pandemic recovery, at 3) pagbibigay pansin sa mga pangunahing isyung pangkasarian na kailangang tugunan ng mga susunod na lingkod-bayan gaya ng nasasaad sa kababago lamang na plano para sa GEWE pang-hanggang 2025 (https://pcw.gov.ph/2022-national-womens-month-celebration/).
Kung sisiyasatin ang mga nagawa sa pagpapalaganap ng GEWE, ang SDCC ay patuloy sa pagbibigay ng seminar ukol sa Gender Sensitivity and Development sa mga tauhan, opisyal at mga kasapi, palagiang paglahok sa Buwan ng Kababaihan at pagsasaalang-alang ng Gender and Development sa mga polisya, mga plano at programa ng Kooperatiba. Kasama sa adyenda ng SDCC para sa gender-responsive pandemic recovery ay ang pagsasagawa ng mga skills training/ seminar sa manicure at pedicure, paggupit ng buhok, baking at urban gardening para sa kababaihan at ilang kalalakihan. Mga ganitong pagtuturo at iba pa ay isasagawa ngayong taon upang mabigyang kakayahan ang higit na maraming kasapi. Nagkaroon din ng income-generating activities para sa kalalakihan at kababaihan bilang kontribusyon ng SDCC sa mga pagsisikap ng lahat upang makabawi. Ang SDCC-DA Kadiwa Rolling Cart ay ang paglalako ng mga panindang pagkain at ani ng mga magsasakang tinutulungan ng Kagawaran ng Agrikultura gamit ang bisikletang may kakabit na kart. Ang mga kasaping napagkalooban ng ganitong kabuhayan ay pinautang ng puhunan ng SDCC para sa pagsimula ng kanilang negosyo. Sa Sari-Sari Store Accreditation project, ang mga kasaping may tindahan at iyung nagnanais magsimula nito ay nagpa-“accredit” upang mabigyan ng credit line mula sa Value Chain Distribution Unit ng SDCC upang maitaguyod ang kani-kanilang pamilya. Ang mga benepisyaryo ng skills trainings/seminars at income-generating projects ay binigyang kakayahang pangasiwaan ang kanilang negosyong nag-aalok ng serbisyo o mga kalakal.
Bilang pakikiisa sa pinagdaraanan ng mga nangutang na kasapi, nagpatupad ng deferment at moratorium ang SDCC upang mapagaan ang kanilang pagbabayad sa panahon ng pandemya. Ang mga updated sa kanilang bayarin ay binigyan ng COVID-19 discount. Patuloy na nakaaambag ang SDCC sa pagkabawi mula sa pandemya sa pamamagitan ng masigasig na pag-“recruit” ng mga kasapi sa mga komunidad na pinagsisilbihan nito sapagkat ang kooperatibismo ay daan tungo sa pagpapaunlad ng buhay. Ang Kooperatiba ay katuwang ng Pamahalaan para sa kaunlaran. Ang SDCC ay naghandog ng mga produkto sa pag-utang na ayon sa pinansyal na pangangailangan ng mga kasapi. Ilang libong lalaki at babaeng kasapi ang nakinabang sa mga pautang na ito ng SDCC upang matugunan ang kanilang pangangailangan sa pagharap sa mga hamon ng kasalukuyan, halos 75% sa kanila ay kababaihan. Mananatili ang SDCC bilang sandigan ng kababaihan at kalalakihang nagmimithing maipagpatuloy at maitaas pa ang antas ng kanilang pamumuhay.
In support of the campaign for Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) being promoted nationally and internationally, SDCC joined the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) – Organized Activities in celebrating Women’s Month by wearing purple outfits or accessories every Tuesday of March and by distributing freebies of SDCC 500ml Sinag Dishwashing Liquid to adorned participants who took selfies with Nanay Issa (SDCC’s Brand Ambassadress) in any of the SDCC Offices.
The 2022 sub-theme, “Agenda ng Kababaihan Tungo sa Kaunlaran” caps the six-year (2017-2022) recurring theme of “We Make Change for Women.” This year’s celebration called on stakeholders from the government and private sector to:
- 1) assess the gains already achieved towards GEWE and prevent sliding back as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and other national issues,
- 2) inspire actions to promote a gender-responsive pandemic recovery, and
- 3) draw attention to the priority gender-issues that must be addressed by future public servants, as outlined in the recently-updated GEWE plan, which spans the year 2025 (https://pcw.gov.ph/2022-national-womens-month-celebration/).
Taking stock of what had been done to promote GEWE, SDCC is continuously mainstreaming Gender Sensitivity and Development among the Staff, Officers, and Members through the regular conduct of seminars for newcomers, the regular celebration of Women’s month and by putting gender and development considerations in the Cooperative’s policies, plans and programs.
SDCC’s agenda for gender-responsive pandemic recovery includes the conduct of skills trainings/ seminars on manicure and pedicure, hair cutting, baking and urban gardening for women and some men. Such or other seminars/trainings will be undertaken this year to empower more members.
Income-generating activities for both male and female members were also initiated as SDCC’s contribution to gender-responsive recovery efforts. The SDCC-DA Kadiwa Rolling Cart is an ambulant store of consumer products and farm produce supplied by farmers assisted by the Department of Agriculture, using a bicycle with an attached cart. Members awarded this means of livelihood were granted loans by SDCC for their “puhunan” for the start-up business. The Sari-Sari Store Accreditation project is where members with sari-sari stores or those wishing to start one had applied for accreditation for credit line from the Value Chain Distribution Unit of SDCC as a means to support their respective families.
Beneficiaries of the skills trainings/seminars and income-generating projects were strengthened through the seminars on how to manage their own businesses as providers of services or consumer goods.
In unity with the economic difficulties of its borrowers, SDCC gave deferments and moratoriums to lighten the weight of their loan payments during the pandemic. Updated borrowers were given the COVID-19 discount.
SDCC continues to contribute to pandemic recovery by active recruitment of members from the communities it serves because cooperativism is a way to socio-economic upliftment. The Cooperative is the Government’s partner in development. SDCC also came up with loan products that suit the financial needs of the members. Thousands of men and women are active in the availment of SDCC’s credit services to answer their economic needs in overcoming the current challenges, almost 75% of which are women.
SDCC is here to stay to serve as a pillar for women and men aspiring to sustain and promote their socio-economic development.