MANILA, PHILIPPINES — On June 18, The Asia Foundation, through its Accelerate Women’s Entrepreneurship for Peace and Prosperity in Mindanao or ACCELERATE, and Limitless Lab launched the first-ever Accelerate e-Commerce Hub, a physical hub that allows Bangsamoro women entrepreneurs to showcase and sell their products online.
The Accelerate e-Commerce hub is an initiative of the ACCELERATE project, which is designed to promote women’s economic participation in the Bangsamoro region by providing women access to training, capital, and market – three vital factors affected by the pandemic. The project is also supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
“ACCELERATE works with women entrepreneurs who come from the marginalized sector. They are former women combatants or widows of former combatants, recently displaced female overseas worker, women graduates of technical and vocational courses, indigenous people, survivors and those at risk of gender-based violence. The opportunity through an e-commerce hub, which is supported by the local government like Cotabato City, will help them address some of these fundamental problems they face as women entrepreneurs,” said Jerryll Reyes, Project Manager of The Asia Foundation.
With the support of the Cotabato City Negosyo Center, 22 women entrepreneurs participated in the launch and are already showcasing their original Bangsomoro handicrafts to locals and tourists. Through the Accelerate e-Commerce Hub, they will also have the opportunity to showcase their products online through the Accelerate Online Marketplace.
The program does not only cover ecommerce market linkaging, but also provides technical support and training for the women entrepreneurs on branding and marketing, product development, and business planning.
The hub will also act as a fulfillment center for orders from the Accelerate Online Marketplace, allowing the women entrepreneurs to market their products outside the region.
“Together with our partners, we are dedicated to fostering inclusive development and empowering women in the BARMM region. We strive to break down barriers, create spaces for collaboration, and provide resources that empower women to excel in entrepreneurship,” added Afnan Abukhair, Project Manager of the Accelerate e-Commerce Hub and part of the Limitless Lab team.
In a post-pandemic society, the Accelerate e-Commerce Hub is the first of many milestones that spotlight the ingenuity of women entrepreneurs in Mindanao and catalyze the region’s economic growth and cultural exchange.
