PR Gaz: Empowering women in business

MANILA, Philippines - The role of women has considerably evolved over the years, and no one can argue that they now play a bigger role in society, with some becoming presidents, prime ministers and corporate bigwigs, taking on leadership roles that in the past were dominated by men.

Today, women don’t just wait on their husbands to provide the needs for their families because they have discovered that they can also become more effective helpmates by venturing into the world of business.

This Women’s Month, PR Gaz pays homage to several women whose stories as successful PR Gaz franchisees are inspiring many others. Meet Priscilla Buenaventura, Anjanette Rico, Mariles Yap and Annaliza Pesayco.

Buenaventura acquired a PR Gaz franchise back in 2007 and was considered the first franchisee in Bataan. While she’s busy handling the business here, her husband Atoy works as an OFW in Saudi Arabia.

The couple started out with a fish farm business but it didn’t work. Undaunted, they ventured into business once again, this time with a PR Gaz franchise. They are satisfied with the business, noting that it even helped send their children to school.

Buenaventura says managing the PR Gaz business boosted her self-esteem and reinforced her belief in her ability as an effective career woman, having been an employee herself before marriage. “The business is something I can be proud of,” she says.

In the case of Rico, she encountered an opportunity with PR Gaz in 2005 at a franchise show. Together with her then-OFW husband, she eventually acquired a company-owned store in Bacoor, Cavite as a franchise. 

It has been over six years and the success of their business helped convince her OFW husband to stay in the country and help manage the business. Rico takes care of the paper work while her husband handles the operations. With this experience also came precious insights.

“I feel more empowered as a woman… The business also gives me an opportunity to uplift the staff’s way of living,” she says.

Yap, on the other hand, manages two PR Gaz branches with her brother Rommel. In 2006, she opened her first outlet on C3 Road-Sgt. Rivera while the other one was opened on Mayon Street in Quezon City in 2008.

“I remember not knowing anything about PR Gaz. It was my brother’s idea and he was trying to convince me there’s already a market and it’s a basic necessity,” she recalls.

Yap admits that her foray into the franchising business through PR Gaz has been a learning experience. “In as much as it is trying, it is also empowering. It’s fulfilling,” she says.

Another woman who also tried her hand in the franchising business is Annaliza Pesayco. She, along with her husband Albert, decided to operate a PR Gaz outlet in Bacoor, Cavite in 2005 after attending a franchise expo.

“We are very satisfied with the company’s support and vision. Since we were one of the first ones to get a franchise, we saw there has been good progress,” she says.

“Like any other woman in business, I feel empowered because I can make decisions on my own. You feel financially independent because you are also earning,” she says.

The stories of these four women simply prove that women have pivotal roles not only in the family but also in the world of business, an observation that PR Gaz COO for franchising Siu Ping Par echoes.

“To become a successful entrepreneur, one should have not only the skills but the heart and passion in running a business. The challenges and demands of being an entrepreneur can be multi-dimensional, and women, because of the various roles we play in society — as a daughter, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a teacher, or a friend, among others — are uniquely equipped for this. It is also for this reason that women can best fit the profile of an ideal franchisee,” she says.

Women can discover their untapped potential and celebrate Women’s Month by visiting the PR Gaz booth at the GoNegosyo 4th Women Entrepreneurship Summit tomorrow at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. For more information on PR Gaz franchising opportunities, contact 0917-8177429 or visit www.prgaz.com.ph.