BARMM, Philippines — As part of UNDP’s initiative to upskill community sewing groups and provide more sustainable business opportunities, selected sewing groups in the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-tawi received 42 sewing machines and raw materials under the Enhanced Manufacturing of Protective Wear and Equipment for COVID-19 Response in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (EMPOWER BARMM) initiative.

Implemented by the UNDP in partnership with the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, Department of Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE), EMPOWER BARMM is an online collaborative platform that connects suppliers and manufacturers to facilitate and accelerate the production and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPEs). It is an adaptive business measure that aims to respond to the sustained demand for protective wear items in the country.

Limited resources and dwindling livelihood opportunities amidst the COVID-19 pandemic have forced micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the country to operate under tight restrictions. And with already existing vulnerabilities, MSMEs in BARMM face even greater challenges. Through the donated equipment and sewing materials, the initiative aims to help address these challenges by helping dressmakers-turned-PPE manufacturers participate in producing PPEs with adequate manufacturing resources.

“We recognize that there are sewing groups that do not have their own sewing machines even though they have already undergone dressmaking training with the TESD. We hope that having the right tools will help families and communities leap toward financial stability and economic recovery,” Dr. Selva Ramachandran, UNDP Resident Representative in the Philippines, said in his message during the turnover ceremony in Maguindanao. He added that promoting locally-made protective wear following minimum standards and empowering women in the community are revolutionary steps towards resilience in BARMM.

EMPOWER BARMM is also envisioned to serve as a centralized information hub for knowledge products and best practices, as well as a space for transfer of knowledge and capacity building. On 30 May, 24 representatives from TESDA-affliated learning centers previously received series of both online and face-to-face training on manufacturing protective wear and other requirements to onboarding the EMPOWER PH platform. Another set of training will be rolled out to the members of 13 sewing groups in the same five provinces using the printed modules that came with the turned over equipment. Part of the training will be hands-on exercises on sewing actual protective wear items.

“Our sewing groups look forward to be a part of something meaningful by contributing to the country’s economic recovery. It is significant that we are strengthening our cooperation and collaboration especially at this time of the transition period and Covid-19 pandemic,” Minister Mohagher Iqbal, Minister of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE), said in a relayed message

Sewing groups will be required to submit PPE samples, which will then undergo the five-point vetting process as part of the EMPOWER PH onboarding procedure. As a means to also protect the consumers, the vetting process ensures that the protective wear promoted in the EMPOWER PH platform were produced under the strict guidelines that make them safe to use in non-medical settings.

For more information, you may check EMPOWER PH online.

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