MEET OUR CLIENT: Richel Fernandez

Mrs. Richel Fernandez profits from the almost year-round warm climate in Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte. She owns a refreshment parlor where halo-halo (a mix of gelatin, beans, sweetened bananas and jackfruit topped with shaved ice and milk) is the local favorite. Five years ago, however, Mrs. Fernandez and her two helpers used a manual ice shaver, taking several minutes to shave enough ice for one order. A line of impatient customers waiting for their halo-halo was a familiar, everyday sight in the refreshment parlor.

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MEET OUR CLIENT: Helena Coquilla

For Helena Coquilla, the notion “expands when it cooks” could just as easily be applied to the business of selling rice as it is to the actual grain. Since Mrs. Coquilla and her husband, Antonio, received a loan to improve their sales of rice two years ago, their business has grown exponentially. It seems that the more they cook, the more their business grows.

Mrs. Coquilla has sold pusô, rice cooked and served in woven baskets of coconut leaves, wholesale to food vendors in her town of Cantilan, Surigao del Sur, since 1982. However, it wasn’t until two years ago when she and her husband received a loan specially developed by the Rural Bank of Cantilan, Inc. (RBCI) under the Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (MABS) Program. [Read more...]

MEET OUR CLIENT: Alsie Angni

Hard work, a cheerful disposition and several small loans got Alsie Angni where she is today. Peddling well-crafted, ready-to-wear clothing purchased from larger cities, Alsie visits about 50 loyal clients weekly to service their needs in her rural town of Tandag in Surigao del Sur.

A series of small loans ranging from 3,000 to 15,000 pesos over the past year has helped Alsie purchase clothing in bulk, paying for them up-front, and re-selling these items to her clients. Since then, her sales and client list have increased dramatically.

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