Aboitiz Foundation, Inc, melalui Pilmico Foods Corporation telah bermitra dengan TESDA Women's Center untuk mendirikan pusat inovasi bisnis di TESDA Compound di Taguig City.

Pusat inovasi bisnis ini merupakan ruang seluas 500 meter persegi yang diperuntukkan bagi para calon pemilik bisnis bakery untuk mempelajari keterampilan produksi roti dan pastry. Pusat inovasi bisnis ini mencakup fasilitas pelatihan yang dilengkapi dengan peralatan roti terkini, ruang kuliah, dan kafe.

Kemitraan ini diresmikan melalui upacara penandatanganan Nota Kesepahaman (MoA) yang dihadiri oleh Apol B. Castro, VP Corporate Strategy and Business Development Pilmico, Maribeth L. Marasigan, First VP & COO Aboitiz Foundation, William Paradies, COO - Flour and Farms Pilmico, Sekjen TESDA, Gene A . Mondondigg, Direktur Jenderal TESDA, dan Plt . Gene A. Mamondiong, Direktur Jenderal TESDA, Rosanna A. Urdaneta, Deputi Direktur Jenderal TESDA untuk Kebijakan dan Perencanaan, dan Marissa G. Legazpi, Pelaksana Tugas Direktur Regional TESDA NCR di TESDA Women's Center pada tanggal 24 Agustus.

Wakil Presiden Pilmico untuk Strategi Korporat dan Pengembangan Bisnis, Apol Castro, mengatakan, "Tujuan TESDA Women's Center untuk memberdayakan perempuan dan kaum muda sejalan dengan visi kami untuk menyediakan mata pencaharian yang berkelanjutan bagi masyarakat."

Fasilitas ini akan diberi nama yang tepat Sendok Kayu yang diambil dari merek tepung andalan Pilmico dan sebagai representasi dari salah satu alat yang paling dapat diandalkan yang harus dimiliki oleh seorang pembuat roti. Keseluruhan renovasi fasilitas ini diperkirakan menghabiskan dana sekitar 6 juta dengan 3,6 juta didedikasikan untuk perlengkapan dan desain ruangan dan 2,2 juta khusus untuk peralatan memanggang.

"Karena pohon dan kayu melambangkan makanan, keaktifan, dan persatuan, WOODEN SPOON akan menjadi lebih dari sekadar pusat pelatihan. Ini akan menjadi lebih dari sekadar fasilitas peralatan dan perlengkapan memanggang, menyeduh, dan memasak. Kami membayangkan ini akan menjadi fasilitas inovasi dan kolaborasi karena kami di Aboitiz Group juga sangat menghargai inovasi dan kerja sama tim", COO Aboitiz Foundation, Maribeth Marasigan menggarisbawahi.

Untuk pelatihan, Pusat Wanita TESDA selalu menempatkan wanita sebagai prioritas pendaftar dengan memberlakukan rasio 9:1 antara wanita dan pria di kelas-kelas yang akan diadakan di fasilitas tersebut. Selain itu, fasilitas ini juga akan digunakan sebagai pusat pelatihan baru Pilmico yang didedikasikan untuk para pelanggan dan pemangku kepentingan lainnya.

Pusat inovasi bisnis Wooden Spoon diharapkan akan selesai pada bulan Oktober.

Pertanyaan yang Sering Diajukan

How does this partnership reflect the vision of both Aboitiz Foundation and Pilmico for community development?
Aboitiz Foundation COO Maribeth Marasigan described the Wooden Spoon as envisioned to be more than a training center — a facility of innovation and collaboration, reflecting the Aboitiz Group’s core values of innovation and teamwork. Pilmico’s VP Apol Castro explicitly noted the alignment between TESDA Women’s Center’s objectives of empowering women and youth and Pilmico’s own vision of providing sustainable community livelihoods. The partnership thus merges two complementary institutional objectives into a single, jointly maintained physical asset.

What is the Wooden Spoon and what is its purpose?
The Wooden Spoon is a 500-square-meter business innovation center established through a partnership between Aboitiz Foundation, Pilmico, and the TESDA Women’s Center at the TESDA Compound in Taguig City. Named after Pilmico’s flagship flour brand, it functions as a fully equipped training facility for aspiring bakery business owners. The center includes up-to-date bakery equipment, a dedicated lecture room, and a cafe space — positioning it as both a skills training venue and a functioning business environment where concepts can be tested and developed.

What is the total investment in the Wooden Spoon facility and who funded it?
The full renovation and outfitting of the Wooden Spoon facility was estimated at approximately 6 million pesos — 3.6 million dedicated to the design and outfitting of the space, and 2.2 million specifically for the baking equipment. The investment was made by the Aboitiz Foundation through Pilmico, reflecting the Aboitiz Group’s commitment to funding physical infrastructure that produces lasting skills development capacity rather than one-off program expenditures.

Who attended the Memorandum of Agreement signing and what roles did they hold?
The formal MoA signing brought together senior leaders from both sides: from Pilmico and Aboitiz Foundation — Apol B. Castro (VP Corporate Strategy), Maribeth L. Marasigan (First VP and COO of Aboitiz Foundation), and William Paradies (COO of Flour and Farms); from TESDA — Secretary Gene A. Mamondiong (Director General), Rosanna A. Urdaneta (Deputy Director General for Policies and Planning), and Marissa G. Legazpi (TESDA NCR Acting Regional Director). The presence of senior leaders from both government and private sectors signaled the institutional weight of the commitment.

What gender equity principle governs enrollment in the Wooden Spoon facility?
The TESDA Women’s Center enforces a 9-to-1 enrollment ratio of women to men in all training classes held at the facility, consistent with its institutional priority of empowering women and youth. This ratio ensures that the facility’s primary impact is directed toward women — aligning with Pilmico’s stated goal of providing sustainable livelihoods to communities and directly serving female entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners who are underrepresented in bakery business ownership.