Ginebra San Miguel Inc. (GSMI), together with San Miguel Foundation, has been recognized at the first-ever TESDA GAD Awards sa TVET last Sept. 1, highlighting its continuing partnership with the government agency in advancing inclusive skills development, women empowerment, and livelihood opportunities. Nadia C. Abcede and Johannes L. Chua of the Business Affairs and Communications received the award on behalf of GSMI from TESDA officials.
The recognition cites GSMI as a long-standing TESDA partner for “supporting entrepreneurship initiatives among learners and graduates, promoting gender-fair technical-vocational education and training (TVET), and encouraging more women to pursue careers in traditionally male-dominated fields.”
The partnership began in 2014, during the 180th anniversary of Ginebra San Miguel, when GSMI joined TESDA’s Technopreneurship Program. Scholars were trained in bartending, cocktail mixing, flairtending, and basic entrepreneurship, with graduates receiving mobile bar kits to help them start their own businesses.
From this initiative grew the Ginebra San Miguel Bar Academy, now a world-class training facility that has produced hundreds of job-ready graduates. According to Shella Bawar, GSM Bar Academy Trainer, the Academy’s bartending program has consistently posted a high employability rate—in fact, the highest among programs offered at the TESDA Women’s Center—with graduates finding rewarding careers in high-end bars, restaurants, hotels, and cruise ships.
Beyond employment, the Academy has helped graduates turn their skills into sustainable livelihoods. Among them is Cherry Galit, who took the program’s Technopreneur track and went on to build her own mobile bar business, serving major clients while providing employment opportunities to fellow Academy graduates.
Another success story is JP Peñaflor, who served a special cocktail during the awards night at the TESDA compound. JP completed the program in 2022 and went on to become a head bartender and mixologist before joining a five-star hotel bar in BGC. For JP, the Academy provided more than technical skills—it helped build her confidence, professionalism, and readiness for the industry.
These journeys embody the purpose of the GSM Bar Academy: to transform training into meaningful careers, entrepreneurship, and opportunities for a better future. Its recognition at the TESDA GAD Awards affirms GSMI’s commitment to empowering communities, opening doors for women, and building a more inclusive workforce—one scholar at a time.
