Aklan rural women’s group gets empowered on Women’s Day celebration
BY VENUS G. VILLANUEVA

KALIBO, Aklan - A recognized barangay women’s association in Aklan was further empowered when it received financial assistance from the Provincial government of Aklan on the celebration of International Women’s Day here.
The financial assistance came in the form of P50,000.00 pesos given to the Talon Women GAD Rural Improvement Club (RIC). Talon is one of the barangays of Altavas, Aklan, the municipality bordering the province of Capiz.
Last year, this women’s association was awarded first place as the most promising Agri- Business Entrepreneur.
Currently, the women’s association indulges in vegetable production, rice production, hog production and nito craft in Talon. Their produce are bought by traders to be sold in Boracay and Kalibo; and in Altavas, they have a Bagsakan Center for their products in a restaurant owned by Altavas Sangguniang Bayan member Medialyn Barcelona, herself awarded last year as the National GAD Rural Woman Achiever of the country.
Her restaurant is also a stopover point of RORO buses plying the Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH) and so their produce have big chances of being promoted and bought by tourists, foreign and local.
Nelsie Villas, the association president, in her response upon receiving the financial assistance in behalf of her group, thanked the local government of Aklan and the Aklan Gender and Development Commission for recognizing their group.
“The Talon GAD Rural Improvement Club is a women’s association with a woman president-but with many men as members, clearly showing that men and women are partners for progress, Villas said in her reponse. “We will use the financial assistance with care through a rolling scheme and we will try to replicate the success of our association in other barangays of our municipality.
The gesture of the provincial government of Aklan in recognizing the potential of the women’s group in Altavas in uplifting their situation coincidentally answered the call of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to concerned agencies to work with cooperatives and NGOs to provide wider access to microfinance funds for women.
At a gathering in Manila for the Womens’ Day celebration, PGMA recognized the role of women in nation building and said the government should provide them with livelihood.
“Women who earn their keep are empowered. I want to make women successful businesswomen,” GMA said. With the strong peso and vibrant stock market, Arroyo said interest rates from loans were lower and more funds for microfinance could now be accessed.
She reiterated that she would remain focused on the economy to maintain political stability, create jobs, generate more investments, and provide the people with social services.