THE co-founder of a social-impact tech startup has warned the government against overregulating technology in the country. "A lot of us are worried about overregulation," Connected Women Chief Executive Officer Gina Romero said in an interview on "Business and Politics," a weekly program hosted by The Manila Times Chairman Dante "Klink" Ang 2nd, and aired on SMNI Saturday evening. "Because this is a booming opportunity for the country, overregulating will potentially cause it to contract. We do not want to lose our potential there." Romero, a 2022 TOWNS (The Outstanding Women in Nation's Service) Awardee in Women Empowerment through ICT, emphasized that "technology allows us to impact more people and create more scale."

To help boost women empowerment in the new normal, PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has partnered with social impact start-up Connected Women for technology upskilling and livelihood opportunities for women across the Philippines. With the goal of training over a thousand women by 2021, Connected Women's Elevate AIDA (Artificial Intelligence Data Annotation) program offers online skills development and remote work opportunities in the artificial intelligence industry. Backed by UN Women, the 75,000 member-strong organization launched ConnectedWomen.ai to provide a talent pool for businesses worldwide while creating an impact for Filipino women and their families. Smart will support Connected Women's upskilling initiatives that include data labeling, remote work, professional communication, and computer skills, which are all scalable in the digital remote workspace. Participants will also benefit from career coaching, developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills and mentoring.