Four students of the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in Batac, Ilocos Norte and their adviser represented the Philippines in the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) World Cup competition in Paris, France on September 11 to 13. The Philippine representatives to the SIFE World Cup 2006 were Joel Ignacio, Janill Magano, Joyce Rallojay, and Patrick Joseph Sadornas. Accompanied by their adviser, Bella Gervacio, they competed against students from 47 countries. Their trip to Paris was sponsored by Cyber City Teleservices Ltd. Inc., which operates eight customer-relation management centers in the Philippines. SIFE is a global, non-profit organization that is active in 48 countries. It is a unique organization that strategically links students, universities and business. It encourages the personal and professional development of new business leaders, the creation and exchange of new research, the dissemination of new business practices, the teaching of others how to succeed, and a high level of communication between all parties. The MMSU students earned the right to represent the Philippines in the world cup competition after they bested delegates from more than 108 colleges and universities around the country in a recently concluded SIFE Philippines national competition at the Bayview Park Hotel. With assistance from MMSU and support from other government agencies, the four students have been instrumental in enhancing the knowledge and skills as well as entrepreneurial capabilities of 150 unemployed housewives in the coastal villages of scenic Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. For two years now, the team has been helping the rural women in increasing their family income instead of just doing nothing while they wait for their husbands to arrive after fishing. The team arranged and managed seminar-workshops on shell product designing, packaging and marketing as well as simple bookkeeping and basic financial management skills with resource persons coming various government agencies. At the same time, the rural women have been organized into the Saud White Sand Shellcraft Producers Association to avoid competition among them and stabilize product prices. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has even provided P50,000 to the association for the purchase of drilling machine, grinders and cutters for the production of more refined shell crafts. Likewise, the association has been linked to more market outlets in Ilocos Norte aside from the stalls maintained by the members at the Saud Beach Resort. MMSU is now helping the association to be registered at the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Through the SIFE project, Pagudpud shell craft producers have attained financial independence, achieved quality control in their products, significantly increased their income, strengthened their bargaining power, and re-oriented their values. Sosimo Ma. A. Pablico, Contributor
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