Celebrating Women’s Month 2026: Bayan Family of Foundations and NAPOLCOM Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point System (GFPS)

Bayan Family of Foundations joined the 2026 National Women’s Month Celebration of the NAPOLCOM Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point System (GFPS), contributing to a month-long series of initiatives focused on digital capacity-building and women’s economic empowerment.”

Celebrating Women and Innovation

To kick off the celebration, Paola Bagaforo, AI and Innovation Consultant of BFF, led a session on Digital Learning: AI Training for NAPOLCOM personnel. The session focused on emerging AI tools, highlighting practical applications to increase workplace productivity and digital literacy.

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Hubert Pio Cortes, Executive Director of Bayan Innovation Group, then guided the group on using AI to streamline tasks such as research, developing proposals and drafting correspondence – demonstrating how AI can reduce turnaround times and improve efficiency.

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The Babaylan Marketplace: Culture, Craft, and Commerce

Building on these capacity-building efforts, the celebration culminated in The Babaylan Marketplace: Craft, Culture, and Commerce—a two-day bazaar of women-led enterprises, and a panel featuring Filipina social entrepreneurs.

The two-day bazaar, held at the NAPOLCOM Central Office Main Lobby, was a platform dedicated to showcasing and empowering women-led enterprises.

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Beyond the bustling marketplace, the Founder’s Panel highlighted the inspiring stories, meaningful insights, and invaluable experiences of Filipina social entrepreneurs who are also members of the Philippine Social Enterprise Roadmap.

Moderated by Atty. Dorothy Orial, GAD Focal Point System, Secretariat Head, the panel featured  Veronica Tabrilla of VERO Denim Bags, Rowena Faith Sucalit of Magic Bag, Mary Rose Salazar of KrigKrafts, Vanna Rodriguez of HappyTap Philippines, Maan Sicam of Happy Helpers, and Sochie Mata of Cut the Craft. 

They shared insights on how they overcome business challenges, navigate financial literacy, and thrive in running social enterprises.

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A Shared Vision

From digital capacity-building to women’s economic empowerment, this partnership reflects the shared vision of NAPOLCOM and the Bayan Family of Foundations: to champion women’s economic independence and celebrate their contributions to society. 

Our heartfelt thanks to the NAPOLCOM Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point System (GFPS) for sharing this platform with us. Together, let’s continue to create spaces where women can lead, innovate, and shape a more inclusive future for all.