Alaska Milk Corporation, in partnership with the Gender and Development (GAD) Office of the Marikina City Government, celebrated International Women’s Day on 8 March 2021 through the AlasKabuhayan livelihood and nutrition sessions with women who were affected by Typhoon Ulysses and the economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fifty-two (52) entrepreneurs and budding entrepreneurs participated in the AlasKabuhayan sessions at the Marikina Sports Center, where delectable recipes such as Creamy Beef Caldereta, Creamy Chicken Curry, and Ube Macapuno Scramble were prepared through a live cooking demonstration led by Chef Kai Padilla. A nutrition education session then followed to refresh the participants’ knowledge about healthy eating and proper food preparation. To end the day, Alaska provided starter kits to all the participants that they may use in their entrepreneurship journey.

“For almost 50 years, Alaska has always played a key role in bridging the gender gap by empowering women through entrepreneurship. We choose to challenge inequality and we choose to celebrate women’s achievements daily,” shared Atty. Angela Esquivel, Alaska’s Corporate Affairs Director. She also emphasized the basic right of every person to live with dignity, regardless of gender: “We all have the right to live a life of dignity, not just because we are women, but because we are human.”

Marikina City’s GAD Office ably complemented the program by delivering timely and relevant knowledge about gender equality, women’s rights, and financial literacy. “As we still grapple with the effects of the pandemic and Typhoon Ulysses, we recognize the talented and hardworking women of Marikina. AlasKabuhayan gives them the opportunity to improve their cooking skills or explore their passion for food and business in a fun way. We are very proud of them,” said Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro.

The AlasKabuhayan livelihood and nutrition sessions were also conducted in the cities of Parañaque and Makati earlier this year, in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry – National Capital Regional Office (DTI-NCRO). Seventy (70) participants enjoyed cooking simple and easy-to-sell recipes such as Fish Sipo Egg, Chicken Ala King Empanada, and Milky Melon Scramble.

AlasKabuhayan is one of Alaska’s contribution towards economic recovery, human capital development, and nation building – all long-term commitments driven by our purpose of Nourishing Filipino Dreams.