From Home to the Baking Room: A Woman’s Journey of Empowerment! A Success Story of Maricar O. Dimaano

In 2024, when Project BAKERS (Babaing Aktibo Kaakibat sa Ekonomiya, Ramdam ay Sagana) was launched to uplift women in the community and strengthen their economic participation, Maricar O. Dimaano stood among its first determined learners. A mother. A wife. And, as she would soon discover, a baker at heart.

Maricar entered the program with only a little knowledge about baking. Like many women balancing household responsibilities, her learning opportunities were limited. Yet her interest, passion, and quiet determination made her progress remarkably fast. She attended every session with focus, practiced relentlessly, and embraced the program as an opportunity not only for herself but for her family’s future.

When she faced the National Assessment for Bread and Pastry Production, Maricar showed what empowered women can achieve when given the chance. She walked in without fear or hesitation. For her, the assessment was not intimidating—it was simply the next step in a journey she had prepared for with confidence.

She passed with ease, demonstrating competence, self-assurance, and mastery.

After graduation, Maricar became one of the trusted bakers of “Panaderya ni Juana”, the community-based livelihood initiative supporting women’s economic empowerment. Whenever the LGU needed snacks for events, Maricar and her fellow women bakers delivered with excellence. She quickly mastered production of the most in-demand items—muffins, banana cakes, and pizza—earning the trust of clients and proving that women can excel in skills often underestimated in value.

But Maricar’s story did not stop at employment.

Fueled by her desire to uplift other women the way she was uplifted, she decided to pursue Trainers Methodology Level 1 to become a certified trainer and assessor. The journey was challenging and rigorous, requiring discipline, time management, and resilience—qualities Maricar had long cultivated as a woman balancing multiple roles. Once again, she succeeded.

She passed the National Assessment for TM Level 1, taking a major step toward becoming a woman leader in the TVET sector.

Today, Maricar is preparing her NTTC application, determined to become a certified Trainer and Assessor in Bread and Pastry Production, the qualification that first ignited her passion and transformed her life. Soon, she will not only bake products—she will shape futures, especially for women who need guidance, encouragement, and opportunities just like she once did.

Maricar’s journey is a powerful example of how gender-responsive programs like Project BAKERS enable women to break barriers, gain confidence, pursue leadership roles, and contribute meaningfully to local economic development.

Her success proves one thing: 

When women are empowered with skills, support, and equal opportunities, they do not just change their own lives—they uplift families, strengthen communities, and build a more inclusive future for all. [Jonathan D. Samillano / SMAC Focal] 

PTC – Davao conducts Training Induction Program to Aspiring Bakers in Brgy. Sirib

A Training Induction Program (TIP) for skills training in Bread and Pastry Production NC II was conducted by the TESDA Provincial Training Center–Davao in Barangay Sirib, Calinan District, Davao City on July 1, 2024. This initiative, a component of Project BAKERS (Babaeng Aktibo Kaakibat sa Ekonomiya Ramdan ay Sagana), seeks to provide local residents, particularly women, with essential baking skills.

TIP allows scholars to familiarize themselves with TESDA’s mission and operations, and highlights the many benefits of specialized skills training under the Special Training for Employment Program (STEP). TESDA is responding to the rising demand in the food service industry by emphasizing BPP NC II, giving participants marketable skills. 

Present at the TIP were Engr. Sammy S. Cameros, the Center Administrator, Jonathan D. Samillano, the Vocational Instruction Supervisor, Niel Ven L. Bacalangco, the Registrar, and Julius . Meanwhile, Barangay Kagawad Teddy Dugasan, overseeing the Women’s Committee, joined the event. This active involvement indicates a clear focus on empowering women in the community by promoting skills development, which may help address gender disparities in employment opportunities.

The decision to hold this program in Barangay Sirib reflects TESDA’s effort to reach local communities directly through skills training through its TESDA Sa Barangay program. This approach not only makes training more accessible but also customizes it to address specific needs because of the absence of a bakery in the area.

With the local expansion of the baking and pastry industry, this training program serves as a timely intervention. This will increase the number of skilled bakers in the women’s association, potentially boosting barangay economic activity.

PTC-DAVAO AND JCI DAVAO PROVIDE ENHANCEMENT TRAINING FOR PROJECT BAKERS GRADUATES IN BRGY. BAGO OSHIRO

On June 30, 2024, TESDA Provincial Training Center – Davao has teamed up with Junior Chamber International (JCI) Davao to boost the baking skills of Bread and Pastry Production NC II graduates under Project BAKERS. This initiative aimed to provide advanced training for women, refining their skills in bread and pastry production and empowering them to achieve their dream of opening “Panaderya ni Juana,” their own community bakery.

The activity was attended by Jonathan D. Samillano, TESDA Specialist II and Special Project Focal, Hon. ImeldaB. Bajao, Barangay Kagawad and GAD Focal, and JCI Davao representatives led by its President Carlo Franco Santos, Secretary General Marc Leo Esponilla, and international baker Mike Hingpit. Mr. Samillano acknowledged the potential of the collaboration, emphasizing its significance for women’s economic empowerment.

Our objective, as Esponilla explained, is to inspire the association with the additional knowledge and skills needed to establish their own Panaderya ni Juana. With the combined support of JCI Davao, TESDA, and the Barangay Council, we are here to turn your dream into reality.

The participants engaged eagerly in learning the intricacies of baking various breads and pastries. Impressed by their commitment, Hingpit remarked that they would thrive as bakery owners. At the end of the training, the participants proudly presented their freshly baked Pâte à Choux (Choux Au Craquelin), showcasing their newly acquired skills.

The women felt a renewed sense of purpose and excitement. The enhancement training not only enriched their baking abilities, but also ignited an entrepreneurial spirit within the Bago Oshiro community.

COORDINATION MEETING FOR PROJECT BAKERS IN BRGY. BAGO OSHIRO

A coordination meeting occurred on April 8, 2024, at Brgy. Bago Oshiro, Tugbok District, Davao City, between the TESDA Provincial Training Center–Davao, represented by Engr. Sammy S. Cameros, Center Administrator, and the Bago Oshiro Barangay Council. The meeting aimed to strengthen the partnership between PTC–Davao and the Bago Oshiro Barangay Council, as well as to discuss further the Bread and Pastry Production NC II skills training under Project BAKERS, which is anchored to TESDA sa Barangay. Additionally, the meeting aimed to address plans for starting a bakery managed by the Women’s Organization of Brgy. Bago Oshiro.

During the meeting, TESD Specialist II and Special Project Focal, Jonathan D. Samillano, introduced the concept of Project BAKERS to Hon. Mark Malaya O. Peregrino, the Barangay Captain, and Hon. Imelda B. Bajao, a Barangay Councilor and GAD Focal. Mr. Samillano highlighted that the project intends to support Sec Teng's flagship program: TESDA sa Barangay, as part of a broader 10-point Agenda to extend TESDA's influence to barangays and integrate technical vocational education and training (TVET) into the community to benefit more Filipinos. The project seeks to empower women for social and economic stability and establish a BPP training center within the barangay, eventually leading to the establishment of "Panaderya ni Juana" as part of the association’s livelihood initiative.

Hon. Peregrino expressed gratitude to TESDA PTC–Davao for choosing Brgy. Bago Oshiro as the project's beneficiary, stating its alignment with their economic enterprise program, particularly benefiting the women’s sector and the wider community. On the other hand, Hon. Bajao stressed the importance of instituting a barangay-led training center for BPP to enhance the community's competencies, especially for women, and expressed hope for the sustainability of the women's association's livelihood efforts to improve their financial standing.