Aboitiz InfraCapital and Connected Women Partner to Train 100 Filipino Women in AI Skills

(Left photo) Aboitiz InfraCapital President and CEO Cosette Canilao (left) and Connected Women CEO Agnes Gervacio (right) as the main signatories of the Memorandum of Agreement sealed the partnership to empower women in AI technology.

(Right photo) (L-R) AIC VP for External Relations Vince Tan, AIC Chief of Staff for the CEO Robert Anthony Siy III, AIC Head of External Affairs Chris Camba, AIC Head of Reputation Management Arline Adeva, AIC Head of Transformation Strategy Maita Villanueva, AIC President and CEO Cosette Canilao, CW CEO Agnes Gervacio, CW Founder and Head of Special Projects Gina Romero, CW Co-founder Ruth Yu Owen, CW Chair Michael Yaxley, and CW CTO and Cofounder Bobby Jimenez. (Aboitiz Infra Capital File photos)

Committed to uplifting communities and providing livelihood opportunities, Aboitiz InfraCapital partnered with Connected Women, an innovative social enterprise advocating for upskilling women in Technology, to empower 100 Filipino women through a specialized training program in Artificial Intelligence (AI) data annotation. This partnership was solidified in the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement on August 14, 2023, at the AIC office in BGC, Taguig.

Under this partnership, AIC will back Connected Women’s flagship initiative, Elevate AIDA, which provides women in vulnerable and displaced sectors of society with free online training on data annotation and digital skills to help them qualify for jobs in the booming global artificial intelligence industry. The program will initially focus on college undergraduates, unemployed graduates, and unemployed mothers from Davao as part of its pilot batch, then eventually expand to communities from identified areas in Luzon and Visayas.

“We believe that knowledge is the greatest tool of empowerment that’s why we welcome this opportunity to help Connected Women in supporting online skills development and eventually providing remote work opportunities for women,” AIC President and CEO Cosette Canilao said. “This is aligned with our company’s purpose of enabling business and uplifting communities, and in the process helping improve the lives of our fellowmen for the long haul,” she added.

The Elevate AIDA training program will include an online/classroom course and on-the-job training. It will cover a range of topics, including data labeling techniques, remote work best practices, basic professional communication, and basic computer skills, all of which are scalable in the digital remote workspace. Moreover, it will foster a supportive environment that encourages networking, collaboration, and mentorship, ensuring participants’ holistic growth.

“When we have the women as part of Elevate AIDA, they don’t always graduate as data annotators or technology workers. But they definitely graduate as different people,” Connected Women CEO Agnes Gervacio said. “They are more excited about what the future holds for them,” she added. ### (PR)

About Aboitiz InfraCapital:

Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc. (AIC) is the infrastructure arm of the Aboitiz Group, one of the Philippines’ largest and most successful conglomerates. Founded in 2015, AIC is committed to helping uplift lives and spurring economic growth through smart and sustainable infrastructure solutions across the country. With its strategic investments and partnerships, it aspires to create long-term value by delivering and upgrading critical infrastructure projects, helping provide basic services to the people, supporting businesses and operational efficiency, and improving mobility.

About Connected Women:

Connected Women (CW) is a socially responsible data and AI solutions company based in the Philippines, with a vision to power the inclusive workplace of the future by bringing women into tech at scale and a mission to elevate the lives of Filipino women through socially-responsible online work. Believing that technology can bridge the gender gap and create inclusive economic opportunities for women, the organization trains women in market aligned skills and connects them with income-generation opportunities. By leveraging the power of AI and digital platforms, they enable women to work from home, support their families, and contribute to the economy.

Connected Women has received global recognition in the categories of inclusive innovation, the future of work, e-employment, and women empowerment.