Mandaue Chamber is Finalist in Int’l Awards Competition

The Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) is selected as one of the four finalists under the Unconventional Project category in the 2015 World Chambers Competition to vie for the top prize in the World Chambers Congress in Torino, Italy in June this year.

MCCI’s Women in Need Now Entrepreneurs and Role Models (W.I.N.N.E.R.S.) made it to the first round of judging of the 2015 World Chambers Competition. Other finalists in the same category are Stavanger Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Norway, Chamber of Commerce of Zaragoza in Spain and Calgary Chamber of Commerce in Canada.

The Best Unconventional Project category “seeks to reward those who have developed an exceptional project in an activity not typically associated with a chamber of commerce’s mission and objectives.”

The project must be inspirational and innovative and that it fulfilled specific needs and objectives of the chamber and its SME member community in terms of creating jobs and strengthening their local economies.

The Best Unconventional Project is one of the four competition categories. The others are Best Corporate Social Responsibility project, Best Job Creation and Business Development project, and Best Policy Advocacy project.

“A total of 79 applications from 39 countries were received overall this year, breaking all our past records, with this category being very competitive,” said Rona Yircali, chair of 2015 World Chambers Competition Jury.

The jury went over 18 entries for the Best Unconventional Project category.

MCCI has submitted its entry on W.I.N.N.E.R.S. early this year with hopes that the collaborative program will be recognized for its impact on model women micro-entrepreneurs who are supporting their families and are struggling to rise from poverty through their enterprises.

“While this is a Chamber-led programme, W.I.N.N.E.R.S. keeps going with a lot of support from the Mandaue City Government, the Cebu Provincial Government, and other organizations, companies, institutions and individuals who shared their resources and expertise to all W.I.N.N.E.R.S. participants in showing them how they can become successful persons in their own right,” said MCCI President Jeruel Roa.

Carmel de Pio Salvador, MCCI Vice President for Internal Affairs and W.I.N.N.E.R.S. chairperson, said that the nomination in the international awards will mean that more will know the stories of the hardworking women in Mandaue City who can inspire other women in other parts of the world to succeed despite difficulties.

As finalist, MCCI will have the opportunity to present the program in the 9th World Chambers Congress in Torino, Italy in June.

“In Torino, Italy, we will make sure that the entire world will know what we are doing. They may copy our template for all they want. If our efforts are replicated manifold by more people or organizations, then more people shall have the chance to rise above poverty and become productive citizens of their respective countries. Perhaps when this becomes the standard, they will not categorize what we are doing as “unconventional” anymore,” Roa said.

For its Obra Negosyo Eskwela Countryside Enterprise Business Upliftment program in collaboration with the Cebu Provincial Government, MCCI was also a finalist in the Best Small Business Project category in 2013 World Chambers Competition in Doha, Qatar.

For more information about W.I.N.N.E.R.S., visit www.mandauewinners.ph.