Effectiveness of Provincial Gender and Development (PGAD) in Providing Local Enabling Environment among Women Micro-Entrepreneurs in Reina (Real, Infanta and General Nakar) Area, Quezon Province

Abstract

The study used the descriptive design to know the demographic profile of the respondents, the level of awareness of PGAD’s program, its effectiveness in terms of local enabling to women micro-entrepreneurs and the problems and challenges encountered by women micro-entrepreneurs. Percentage and Weighted Mean and Ranking were used as statistical tools. In gathering the needed data, the researchers determined the number of respondents through the help of the LGU of REINA with the total population of 180. It was a clustered sampling characterized by randomly selecting groups. Based on the findings, majority of the respondents with the age bracket 40-44, were married; highschool graduates, majority were part of the Suman Maker’s Association, started their business in 2010-2014, working 5-9 years, have a monthly income of P4,000 and below and majority of products being sold was suman and their sourcing of capital was a shared capital. Meanwhile, the most aware of the program of PGAD Office in terms of local enabling environment was the GAD Planning and Budgeting training to LGU, such as infrastructure and other buildings, so that women micro-entrepreneurs will have a pleasant place for their business, followed by the distribution of pamphlets regarding the law of Magna Carta of Women (RA9710) and GAD Code of Quezon Province. However, acquired training and technical assistance became the least awareness for the local enabling of the environment of women micro-entrepreneurs. On the other hand, the most effective of PGAD’s program were information and education campaigns from PGAD Office regarding the laws, policies, and guidelines can be fully distributed and understand the rights of women micro-entrepreneurs. Nevertheless, the problems and challenges encountered by women-micro entrepreneurs were hard to access credit and financial services, lack of capital/resources and lack of awareness on gender issues.