We connect in Osaka

In February 2025, the Philippine Women’s Economic Network, Inc. (PhilWEN) had the privilege of being hosted once again by FICCI-FLO, or the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry Ladies Organization, in Mumbai and Bangalore. This marked our second engagement with FICCI-FLO, following our initial visit in September 2024, when we explored Hyderabad and New Delhi. Both visits were truly eye-opening experiences, where we dived into the rich culture, entrepreneurial spirit, and countless business opportunities that a Philippine-India exchange can offer. More importantly, it opened up important conversations about how women entrepreneurs in both nations can collaborate to thrive and grow together.

Fast forward to May 2025, PhilWEN was honored to be a proud partner of WEConnect International, one of the most dynamic organizations in the women’s empowerment space. This organization champions the cause of empowering women-owned and women-led businesses globally through market access and connections to large corporate buyers. The WEConnect International APAC Summit 2025, held in Osaka, Japan, brought together a powerful mix of business leaders, suppliers, and changemakers from many nations.

The Philippine delegation was composed of five dedicated women leaders: Rosario Juan of Commune, Lourdes Myren Garcia of MBCI Events and current vice president of PhilWEN, Mikaela Luisa Teves of Spark Philippines, Betty and Bernice Aw of Big GUSTO, and yours truly. Given the difference in our entrepreneurial journeys, we came together with a shared mission: to connect, collaborate, and contribute to the growing ecosystem of women-led enterprises across the region, especially in the Philippines.

The three-day gathering was rich with opportunities to learn, engage, and be inspired. It featured a comprehensive lineup of presentations, in-depth panel discussions, dynamic pitch sessions, and valuable networking opportunities with corporate member buyers. These sessions were not merely academic or theoretical, but very much actionable activities that geared toward real-world results like business-to-business contract opportunities, facilitating insight-sharing on international trade, and highlighting the best practices that corporations are implementing to promote inclusive sourcing.

In every session we attended and every group we engaged with, we had the honor of meeting remarkable businesswomen, each with a unique story and vision, each contributing their own perspective and energy to the collective goal of gender-inclusive economic growth.

At PhilWEN, the concept of “empowerment” is multidimensional. For us, empowerment also means creating spaces where women can share best practices, cultural insights, innovative ideas, and hard-earned lessons. It also means opening doors to collaboration and providing platforms where those connections can grow into long-term partnerships. It’s about equipping and enabling women who need that subtle push to help jumpstart their mission.

Wherever we go, whether it’s India, Japan, or any other economy we engage with, we make it a point to bring home the lessons we’ve learned. We aim to translate global insights into localized strategies in order to serve as tools that entrepreneurs in the Philippines can use to expand their network and enrich their mindset, with the hopes of improving their operations. While we recognize that we can’t take every step for them, we can certainly provide a bridge that connects our local businesses to global networks through partners like FICCI-FLO and WEConnect International.

In today’s evolving economic landscape, it is important to pause and identify accessible opportunities, especially those low-hanging fruits that are often within reach but overlooked. This is what PhilWEN can provide.

At PhilWEN, we are always ready to support you on your journey. Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur or an established business owner, we are here to help you connect with our network of global partners and explore how far your business can go. We strongly believe in the power of collaboration and the importance of creating inclusive, sustainable growth that benefits not only women but the broader communities they serve.

If you’re interested in exploring opportunities to grow your business and connect with international markets, we encourage you to reach out to us. Please email us at ana.bobadilla@pbcwe.com, and we will send you an assessment form to begin the conversation. Let’s work together.

You may also visit our website (philwen.org) or follow us @philwenorg and @pbcwe.

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Ana Bobadilla is the secretariat of PhilWEN and the partnerships manager of the Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment (PBCWE). She is a women/youth empowerment, environment, and diversity, equity, and inclusion advocate.

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Women Who Lead is an initiative of PhilWEN.