‘Dead’ business wins top prize for microentrepreneurship

At 18, Honie Krizia Navor of Iloilo City ventured into a “dead” business and began her life as a young entrepreneur.

While most people, particularly the young and the women, might find lapida-making a macabre enterprise, Navor saw it as a business that would always be in demand, its products never spoiling or decaying.

Nine years later, Navor’s unflinching commitment and determination to grow her enterprise have resulted in success that, while not etched in stone, is a record-setter nevertheless.

Navor, no longer just a lapida maker but a wholesaler and retailer of granite and tiles, stones and marble slates, is the recipient of the 2016 Citibank Microentrepreneur Award (CMA), the youngest, at 27, to receive the 14-year-old honor bestowed by Citibank Philippines, in cooperation with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and Microfinance Council of the Philippines (MCP).

The other awardees were: Richiel Vargas, producer and distributor of garments for bicycle and motorcycle riders, Regional Awardee for Luzon; Angelita Dagoc,  owner of Ferangeli Guitar Handcrafter, Regional Awardee for Visayas; and Marcelina Occeña, producer and retailer of Soup Wonder Herbal Oil,  Regional Awardee for Mindanao.

Kevin Pacatang, producer and distributor of native chocolate tablea and coffee, became the first recipient of the Youth Microentrepreneur of the Year, a recent addition to the CMA roster. The award aimed to highlight best-in-class young entrepreneurs and their business initiatives.

It complemented Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress initiative that aimed to create economic opportunities and social mobility for low-income youth.

Recipients of special awards were Manuel Iwayan, who collects and recycles rubber tires, Green/Sustainable Business; Renato Mercado,  organic farmer and organic fertilizer wholesaler, Agri Micro-business; and Wilberto Dagame, Willmar Homemade Candies producer and retailer, Community Leadership.

The winners received over P2 million in cash and kind. The Microentrepreneur of the Year received P200,000 in cash and the other winners, P100,000 each.

The winners were chosen from a pool of microentrepreneurs – those with assets of P3 million and below-  by a National Selection Committee jointly chaired by BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. and Citi Philippines chief executive officer Aftab Ahmed and composed of Marixi Rufino-Prieto, chair, Philippine Daily Inquirer; Antonino L. Alindogan Jr., independent director, Philippine Airlines, Inc.; Jose Maria A. Concepcion III, president and CEO, RFM Corp.; Felipe L. Gozon, president and CEO, GMA Network, Inc.; Imelda M. Nicolas, former chair, Commission on Filipinos Overseas; Dr. Michael L. Tan, chancellor, University of the Philippines Diliman; Orlando B. Vea, president, Voyager Innovations, Inc.; and Fernando Zobel de Ayala, president, Ayala Corp.

Navor started her business after her father died and her family was evicted from their home. She decided that an enterprise founded on stone, literally, had a good chance of success as her product  had a long shelf life and demand was consistent.

With a starting capital of only P1,000 and initially relying on informal money lenders, known as 5-6 “businessmen” for imposing a 20-percent interest on loans, she eventually partnered with Valiant Bank to grow her business that now has 35 regular employees.

She now provides related services such as hauling, and has started to accept home and building construction projects, prompting her to import materials. She has sent her sisters to school, provides her employees insurance and health coverage and a pension plan, and supports her church’s feeding program.

Meanwhile, starting with just one sewing machine, Vargas of Antipolo City, assisted by First Macro Bank, now has 33 sewing machines for making armbands, gloves, bonnets, and masks for bicycle and motorcycle riders.

Dagoc partnered with Taytay sa Kauswagan, Inc. to grow her Guitar Ferangeli Handcrafter, seller of stringed instruments and souvenir items, that has gained a reputation as maker of the “Best Guitars” in Cebu.

Occeña’s eight-year-old Soup Wonder Herbal Oil has become a popular therapy to ease pains and aches for people in and outside Montevista, Compostela. With the help of Peoples Bank of Caraga,  Occeña plans to construct a building to meet the increased demand and to have more storage space.

Pacatang became co-manager in 2011 and manager in 2014 of the chocolate and coffee business his mother started in Jimenez, Misamis Occidental. Like his mother, he relies on the Paglaum Multipurpose Cooperative, of which they are both members, for his capital needs.

Concerned about the country’s worsening garbage problem, Iwayan started in San Carlos City his business of recycling and repurposing used tires with only P45. He later received financial help from Valiant Bank to expand his business.

Mercado’s advocacy of organic farming has made Barangay Sulpoc in Tanauan City a pioneer of the practice. Assisted by Bangko Kabayan, he has turned his 28-hectare farm into a showcase of how organic fertilizer can increase yields and make crops healthier.

Dagame revived and revitalized a failed yema business and scaled it up also with the help of Bangko Kabayan. Now he helps other enterprises to grow.

Tetangco, keynoting his last CMA, said the finalists and winners “give us many reasons to celebrate – their courage, their creativity, their tenacity … and their success.”

He said CMA awardees “inspire confidence and serve as role models [for] those who are just starting their own micro ventures.” Even the sponsors, banks, non-government organizations and service providers could learn from the winners, the BSP chief said.

The CMA winners “demonstrate how financial inclusion and microfinance can unlock opportunities” and “they serve as catalysts for the development of their ventures in various areas,” Tetangco said.

Ahmed said this year’s award-winning enterprises “are shining examples of what can be achieved” through unwavering perseverance, strong commitment and hard work.

The winners, Ahmed said, displayed creativity in identifying a business opportunity, tenacity in pursuing the idea and  persistence in achieving their goals. They also showed a willingness to move out of their comfort zone and take risks.

“They were all willing to address challenges. They all have a positive attitude and the desire to prevail,” Ahmed said.

The winners and all 2016 nominees, which totaled 144, could serve as entrepreneurship champions and role models, he said.

“All of them can be an inspiration for others who dream of improving the livelihood of their families and becoming important community contributors,” he added.