‘Cookies’ for fish is top microenterprise

2013 WINNERS of the Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards are all smiles here—after being informed they will receive generous cash prizes, scholarship to entrepreneurship training, life and health microinsurance coverage and a laptop—all to further boost their businesses.

A Bulakeño, who makes “cookies” as fish feed, is this year’s national winner of the Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards (CMA).

Enrico S. Fojas of Hagonoy received P200,000. Together with the three regional winners, he will also undergo a four-week entrepreneurship training and small business advisory and coaching sessions at the Citi Microenterprise Development Center, a training program jointly undertaken by Citi and the Bayan Academy for Social Entrepreneurship and Human Resources Development.

LEADERS for a cause—Citi Philippines CEO Batara Sianturi, BSP governor Amando Tetangco, Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Marixi Prieto, former Monetary Board member Antonino Alindogan and RFM Corporation’s Joey Concepcion III at the recognition ceremonies for the 2013 Citi Micro-entrepreneurship Awards.

Fojas, who almost left the country to become a caregiver abroad to earn enough for his children’s education, parlayed a P5,000 loan from the Urban Program for Livelihood Finance and Training into a million-peso enterprise that employs 21 workers.  Cookie Mill Feeds, which was started by Fojas’ brother, recycles stale breads from Hagonoy bakeries that would otherwise have been thrown away, into non-toxic high-protein feeds for the town’s and neighboring areas’ numerous fish ponds. The breads are enriched by adding coconut and other organic ingredients.

The regional winners, who each received P100,000, were Marylyn Cleto for Luzon, Reginal Paller for Visayas and Necy Ann Ty for Mindanao.

Cleto, a former overseas worker who came home with very little savings, diversified her sari-sari store business in Baguilin, La Union and now operates a mini grocery, soft broom manufacturing, computer shop and G-Cash remit center with the help of the Tulay sa Pag-unlad Inc.

Paller runs a popular talabahan or roadside eatery, which she expanded with the help of a small loan from Valiant Bank in Passi City, Iloilo.

Davao City residents Ty and her husband own Higher Ground that makes mountaineering gear and apparel to supply those who want to scale Mount Apo, the Philippines’ highest peak, or other mountains. With the help of Rizal Microbank, Higher Ground now has four branches. The Tys have also acquired three delivery trucks.

During the recent award ceremonies held at the BSP complex, CMA also honored three previous winners who had successfully sustained their mini businesses.

Former factory worker Jennilyn M. Antonio put up EHJE’s Peanut Butter with the help of the Rural Bank of Mabitac in Laguna. She now exports her products to Japan and Singapore.

Maria Guidella C. Argabio of Calatrava, Negros Occidental, transformed herself from being a sugarcane plantation laborer into a farmer-owner and trucking company operator with the support of the Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation, Inc.

Rosario A. Caparas now runs in Biñan, Laguna a million-peso buchi business that sells several variations of the popular Chinese dessert. A loan from the CCT Savings and Credit Cooperative enabled her to grow her business that now serves 25 locations in her province, including popular fastfood establishments.

The annual CMA, which is funded by Citi Foundation and conducted in partnership with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Citi Philippines and the Microfinance Council of the Philippines Inc., aims to increase awareness of microfinance and provide incentives to microentrepreneurs in the country.

Aside from honoring successful small businessmen, the awards also recognize the microlending institutions that helped them grow their business ventures.

Winners were chosen by the National Selection Committee composed of captains of industry, successful entrepreneurs, financial experts and members of the academe. Jointly chaired by

2013 CITI Micreoentrepreneurship Awards regional winner for Luzon Marylyn Cleto with Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Marixi Prieto and former Monetary Board member Antonino Alindogan.

BSP governor Amando M. Tetangco, Jr. and Batara Sianturi, chief executive officer of Citi Philippines, its members are Marixi Rufino-Prieto, chair,  Philippine Daily Inquirer; Fernando Zobel de Ayala, president, Ayala Corporation; Jose Ma. A. Concepcion III, president and CEO, RFM corporation; Felipe L. Gozon, chair and CEO, GMA Network Inc.; Antonio L. Alindogan, Jr., director, Philippine Airlines; Robina Gokongwei-Pe, president and chief operating officer, Robinsons Retail Group; and Dr. Darwin D. Yu, associate professor, Ateneo de Manila University-John Gokongwei School of Management.

Responding on behalf of this year’s winners, Fojas said, “When putting up a business, you should consider what (resources) are around you and how you can help people and how they can help you.”

Describing himself as an advocate of non-toxic products, he said they turned stale breads from bakeries, which would have been thrown away,  into “rich, nutritious animal feed (which was) good for the environment and a natural food.”

But he stressed that his success was not just about making profit but helping people. “Always think of the welfare of your workers. (If you do), they will be loyal and will do their work right,” he said.

Tetangco said CMA winners continued “to surprise us with their creativity and discipline. They continue to make us proud.”

Sianturi said he was impressed by the “level of engagement and quality of nominees.” He said the Philippine initiative had been adopted by other country offices.