Global Dominion, Pasig City Ledio Equip Women Entrepreneurs with Basic Accounting Skills

Global Dominion Accounting Manager Mary Grace Garrote (left) and Chief Operating Officer Melai Felicidario (right) share practical accounting tips with women entrepreneurs at the free Basic Accounting for Non-Accountants seminar in Pasig City.

Women entrepreneurs from various municipalities and barangays of Pasig spent an afternoon getting to know the numbers behind their businesses at a free Basic Accounting for Non- Accountants seminar held at the Pasig City Temporary City Hall.

Global Dominion Financing, Inc. (Global Dominion) organized the seminar with ROL Foundation and the Pasig City Local Economic Development and Investment Office (LEDIO). The session is part of GLOW, or Giving Limitless Opportunities to Women, a Global Dominion financing program that gives women-led businesses access to loans at preferential rates, along with networking and learning opportunities.

The participants came from a range of industries, including food, retail, and beauty services. Some had been in business for years, while others had only recently started selling to friends and neighbors. Many said they manage both the daily operations and the bookkeeping, with little time left to study either.

“Women run many of the small businesses that keep our communities going, from the neighborhood sari- sari store to the home baker taking orders online,” said Global Dominion President and CEO Samuel Cariño. “They work hard, but many of them have had to learn the business side on their own. GLOW is our way of backing them up with fair financing and the practical knowledge to use it well. A loan can help a business grow. Understanding the numbers helps make sure that growth lasts.”

For many small business owners, bookkeeping is the task that gets pushed aside. Sales are written in a notebook or not recorded at all, and personal and business money often end up in the same wallet. Without a clear view of their income and costs, owners can find it hard to price their products properly, plan for slow months, or show a lender that their business is ready for a loan.

“Access to financing matters, but a woman who understands her numbers can make the most of her capital,” said Global Dominion Chief Operating Officer Melai Felicidario. “Through GLOW, we want to give women entrepreneurs the financing and the know-how. When they can see where their money comes from and where it goes, they make better decisions about when and how to grow.”

Global Dominion Accounting Manager Mary Grace Garrote walked participants through the core parts of a business’s financial picture, including revenue, cost of goods sold, operating expenses, gross profit, and net income after tax. She used everyday examples to show how each figure is computed and what it reveals about the health of a business, such as how a product that sells well can still lose money when its costs aren’t tracked.

Participants then broke into groups to prepare a sample financial statement, putting the concepts into practice right away. Working with figures for a mock business, each group sorted sales and expenses, computed the business’s profit, and presented its results to the room. For many, it was the first time they had put together a financial statement on their own.

Participants work in groups to prepare a sample financial statement during the seminar's hands-on exercise.

During the open forum, Felicidario shared practical advice on how to tell when a business is ready to expand. “You’ll know it once your business starts showing positive numbers consistently,” she said. “And when you need an extra boost to get to the next level, financing companies like Global Dominion can help you get there.”

She also encouraged participants to keep their business and personal finances separate and to update their records regularly. These habits, she said, help owners catch problems early, such as a product that’s losing money or expenses that keep creeping up, so they can adjust before small issues turn into big ones.

For Fren Del Mendo, owner of a cake and pastry business, the seminar was also a reminder of how much support matters. “A lot of us try to figure everything out through trial and error,” she said. “But nobody can do this alone. Support from the community and institutions makes it easier to keep going,” she added.

The Pasig seminar is one of several activities Global Dominion has lined up for GLOW, which pairs financing with programs that help women grow and manage their businesses. The company plans to bring the seminar to select cities across the Philippines in the coming months.

Working with government offices and private organizations is central to that plan. Local government units like Pasig City LEDIO know which communities and business owners need support the most, while foundations and private partners help extend the program’s reach and resources. Through these partnerships, Global Dominion aims to connect with women entrepreneurs who are often left out of formal financing and training, including those running micro and home-based businesses.

“A loan is only the start of what GLOW offers,” Cariño said. “Even women who don’t borrow from us can benefit from sessions like this. We believe that when we help a woman entrepreneur, we’re also helping her family and the community that depends on her business.”

Women entrepreneurs interested in GLOW may visit any Global Dominion branch nationwide or reach the company through its official digital channels.