CCT Microfinance Recipient Honored

Rosario Caparas,
special awardee for innovation
 in the 11^th Citi Microentrepreneurship
 Awards.

Rosario Caparas, microfinance recipient of the CCT Savings and Credit Cooperative, is one of seven microentrepreneurs honored in the 2013 Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards  (CMA).

Rosario, a pioneer member of the CCT Co-op branch in Binan, Laguna, received a special award for innovation.  She and her family are owners of Buchi King, a restaurant that serves buchi with non-traditional fillings. She received a cash prize of P100,000, a laptop computer and one-day training on how to use it, three-year health and life insurance coverage, and scholarship to a four-week entrepreneurial course. 

Established in August 2012 with an initial capital of P1,500, Buchi King posted sales of P6.5M and a net profit of P1.4M in its first year of operation.

This is the third time in as many years that a CCT ‘community partner’ has been chosen to receive a CMA award.  The first two are Andresa Javines of General Santos City, a producer of tuna packaging material, and Rabia Mangumpig of Cotabato City, a wedding gown designer.  

Christian Caparas, Rosario's son and Buchi King finance manager, said,  "Nagpapasalamat kami sa Lord sa mga pinagkakaloob Niya sa Buchi King.  Parang hindi  kami makapaniwala.  Sobrang overwhelmed  na marecognize, considering na kaka-one year pa lang ng business na ito!"

The Binan branch office and the loan officer assigned to Rosario also each received a prize of P10,000.

Dennis Monong, CCT Co-op general manager, said, “More than the prizes, what matters most to CCT  is the opportunity to help transform the lives of our community partners and their families.”

Jovelee Maala, a junk shop owner and junk dealer from Payatas, Quezon City, was also nominated by CCT to the awards program.  She and Rosario were among 21 semi-finalists chosen out of 107 nominees submitted by 23 microfinance institutions from across the country.

Other winners are Enrico Fojas, national award winner; Marylyn Cleto, Luzon winner; Regina Paller, Visayas winner; Necy Ann Ty, Mindanao winner; Maria Guidella Argabio, special awardee for agri micro-business; and Jennilyn Antonio, special awardee for microenterprise leadership.

Formerly known as the Citi Microentrepreneur of the Year (MOTY) Awards, the CMA is a nationwide search for outstanding microentrepreneurs.  Funded by Citi Foundation, the CMA was launched in 2002 as part of the celebrations for Citi’s 100^th year in the Philippines.  The program is a partnership among the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Citi Philippines, and the Microfinance Council of the Philippines. 

Held just four weeks after Supertyphoon Yolanda devastated several provinces in the Visayas, the awarding ceremony on December 3 was an emotion-charged event.  According to a situationer given on the storm’s effect on the microfinance industry, some 390,000 clients of MCPI member-organizations were affected, including seven past CMA winners.   

The 2013 CMA winners(left to right): Marylyn Cleto, Regina Paller, Rosario Caparas,

 Enrico Fojas, Jennilyn Antonio, Necy Ann Ty, and Guidella Argabio 

The winners with the CMA national selection committee (left to right): Robina Gokongwei-Pe,  president and 
COO, Robinsons Retail Group; Batara Sianturi, CEO, Citi Philippines; Amando M. Tetangco Jr.,
 governor, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas;  Marixi Rufino-Prieto, chair, the Philippine Daily Inquiter; 
 Antonino L. Alindogan Jr., member, board of directors, Philippine Airlines; 
 and Jose Ma. A. Concepcion III, president and CEO, RFM Corporation. 

Mila Bunker, Microfinance Council of the Philippines chairperson, inducts the 2013 awardees

  into the CMA alumni network. She challenged the winners to “Make a commitment not for yourselves

 but to help those affected [by Yolanda].”  The awardees
 pledged to “Persevere for family, co-workers, and colleagues,
 and pay forward the trust and guidance of the microfinance industry through livelihood generation.” 

Rosario Caparas, flanked by son Christian (second from left)

 and nephew Alvin Abaja,  receives a trophy and her cash prize from Dr. Felipe Medalla,  

BSP monetary board member.  Also on the stage is BSP Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. 

...with (left to right) Dennis Monong, CCT Savings and Credit Cooperative general manager; Jhyna Gacu,
 covenant community builder (loan officer); and Allan Pardico, regional peer servant for Cavite and Laguna.

Owners of the Buchi King restaurant:  Christian and his mother, Rosario;  Alvin and his mother, Erlinda Abaja.  

...with other CCT staff:: Myra Gaculais del Rosario (far left), writer; Melissa Magalona (4th from left),
 mentoring coordinator; and Edwin delos Santos, (far right) partnership development officer.

Photos: Michelle Taway