Representatives from the 10 ASEAN states convened last 12-13 February 2008 to attend the Public Awareness Conference held at Astoria Plaza Hotel located at Pasig City, Philippines. Organized by AWCF in coordination with the ASEAN Foundation (AF) and with funding support from the Japan ASEAN Solidarity Fund (JASF), this activity was hosted by the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO), one of AWCF’s member-organizations, and was attended by at least 75 participants, guests, and secretariat representing regional and primary co-operatives, government, non-government, and United Nations (UN) agencies that assist co-ops and other self-help groups in the region as well as media and ASEAN embassies working in the Philippines.

As the last component of the AWCF-AF project implemented in 2007 known as “Building Capacities of Women Entrepreneurs and Exploring Opportunities for Micro-Enterprise Development for Co-operatives in Southeast Asia,” this conference showcased the results and recommendations regarding the efforts of the different co-operatives, government agencies, and organizations as they empower women and reduce poverty through conduct of entrepreneurship development program/s, application of information and communication technology (ICT) in entrepreneurial endeavors, and carrying out capacity building activities intended for women entrepreneurs. Furthermore, through the presentation of the participant’s Insights and Applications of Learning, everyone was given a chance to have a glimpse on how the different co-operatives/organizations implemented the Co-operative Entrepreneurship Development Action Plan (CEDAP) that were submitted by the country representatives who joined the previous AWCF-AF regional forums and exchange programs vis-à-vis the support and guidance committed by their respective organizations.

Other topics tackled during the Conference include: Fair Trade, an Alternative Trading System for MSMEs, Providing Business Development Services through the Business Development Center, and ICT Applications in Enterprise Development Programs with a Sharing on IT-Supported BDCs in Thailand. Insights and Recommendations regarding the AWCF-AF partnership projects were also provided using the experiences of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Sub-Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, the ASEAN Confederation of Women’s Organizations (ACWO), and the International Open Source Network (IOSN), ASEAN+3 Sub-Regional Node.