Coca-Cola Philippines has been recognized as a private-sector partner at the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) first GAD Awards sa Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), honoring the company’s long-standing work with TESDA to advance women’s economic empowerment through the STAR (Sari-Sari Training and Access to Resources) and iSTAR (Innovative Sari-Sari Store Training and Access to Resource) programs.
The recognition places the collaboration among TESDA’s gender-responsive public-private partnership initiatives, highlighting how the partnership has helped women entrepreneurs gain the skills and support they need to build and grow their businesses.
Sari-sari store owners and retailers are part of what keeps Coca-Cola present in Filipino communities, and their growth matters to the company as much as their day-to-day business. That’s what led Coca-Cola Philippines and TESDA to launch the STAR Program in 2012. The project was implemented under Coca-Cola’s global 5by20 initiative to help economically empower five million women entrepreneurs worldwide by 2020 through business skills training, access to financial services, and mentoring. The STAR Program went on to reach around 250,000 MSMEs with training and support.
The iSTAR Program picked up where STAR left off: a digital, more inclusive version of the program built for a new generation of entrepreneurs. It gave women and men the training and tools to strengthen their businesses, and by 2026, the iSTAR Program has reached 400,000 women completers since its launch in 2021.
For Coca-Cola Philippines, the story of STAR and iSTAR shows what happens when entrepreneurs get the skills and support to grow: livelihoods get stronger, and so do the women behind them.
“We are grateful to TESDA for this recognition and for the strong partnership we have built over the years. Working together has allowed us to connect local entrepreneurs, particularly women, with opportunities to develop their skills and strengthen their businesses. We value what we have been able to accomplish together, and we look forward to exploring more opportunities with TESDA to support entrepreneurs and communities through skills development and livelihood programs,” said Maria Christine Ponce-Garcia, Senior Director for Public Affairs Communications and Sustainability at Coca-Cola Philippines.
TESDA created the GAD Awards sa TVET to recognize the policies, programs, and people advancing women’s empowerment and gender equality in TVET. This inaugural edition covers accomplishments from 2023 to 2025, honoring TESDA offices and personnel, GAD champions, former officials, and partners from both government and the private sector.
Coca-Cola Philippines was among the partners recognized for contributing to efforts toward a more gender-responsive and inclusive TVET sector.
The recognition reflects a continued collaboration built on a shared goal: opening more doors for local entrepreneurs. As Coca-Cola Philippines and TESDA build on their partnership, they remain committed to working with other stakeholders toward a TVET system where every Filipino—regardless of gender—can pursue opportunities to build skills and meaningful livelihoods.
Learn more about Coca-Cola Philippines’ initiatives through the Coca-Cola Sustainability Hub at www.coca-cola.com/ph/en/brands/coca-cola/sustainability.
