Alicia Alonzo
The Mother of Philippine Microfinance: Remembering Tita Cory and Her Mission of Alleviating Poverty
By Dan Songco, President and CEO, PinoyME Foundation
In our boardroom, we have a blown up photo of Tita Cory occupying 2/3rd of the wall. No meeting would pass that we do not rest our eyes on her smiling face. Her picture is a silent witness to all our agreements and our plans, the commitments we make to our partners and our clients. Now that she’s gone, this is one way we can continue to preserve her presence, our founder. In a way, through her picture, she is still a part of every decision we make.
She was a simple woman – what people referred to in the 80s as a typical housewife. But it is also this simplicity that made her larger than life. She is able to connect to people to all levels of society on the strength of her sincerity. Even her wisdom is the wisdom of a mother; she looked at problems like they were problems of a household. And like a mother, who knew the needs of her children, she possessed a deep understanding of what would truly benefit people.
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ME Naman!
In celebration of 6 years of PinoyME, growth-oriented microentrepreneurs (MEs) take center stage at the national convention of the largest business sector in our economy. For the first time, outstanding MEs from all over the country will gather on February 23- 24, 2012 to share their adventures in growing a business, working at uplifting their lives while helping the community. The Convention will highlight colourful stories of struggle and triumph. It will serve as a venue in which other hardworking MEs can find their own voice in the varying yet common experiences of Pinoy MicroEntrepreneurs.
Aside from benefiting from personal conversations, MEs will also learn
from key resource speakers who will talk on engaging and practical matters such as innovation and marketing or laws and taxation.
Indeed, this promises to be a most meaningful event by MEs,
for the MEs. It’s time for ME Naman!
DOWNLOAD the Guidelines and Nomination Forms. Deadline of nomination is on January 9, 2012.
3 Coffee Brands from Filipino Farmers that You Should Not Miss
Hankering for a hot cup of coffee to jumpstart your day? You’ve got to first be a tad grateful to the microfinance worker who helped bring you your yummy latte.
Microfinance is also the driving force behind coffee production, one of our most dynamic and popular industries. With every cup you consume, there is a large probability that you are drinking coffee from farmers, who have in one way or another been supported by a microfinance institution.
According to Pacita “Chit” Juan, Philippine coffee champion and the founder of Figaro Coffee Company, microfinance “has helped them (farmers) go from harvest to harvest—from season to season—as coffee is an annual crop. Microfinance helps them to invest and engage with other cash crops in between coffee harvests.”
There is also a great probability that the coffee you are drinking—whether from a fancy grande cup at your favorite coffee shop or from the plastic cup of a quick mix vendo—is an industrious Filipino farmer’s main source of livelihood. That is why Chit Juan has been resolute in encouraging more people to patronize Philippine coffee.
Filipino farmers yield some of the most sought after and flavorful coffee brands. Our coffee brands are also safer and more nutritious because these are grown “in an organic way.” Chit Juan said: “Many of our coffee farms are naturally organic and under rainforests and shades.”
Moreover, she adds that drinking Philippine Coffee “gives our farmers the hope that the future generations of coffee farmers can still be productive and efficient to grow this wonderful crop.” If you’re still not convinced, Juan shares with us three of the most notable brands from Filipino farmers. Try these coffee blends for a taste of what our farmers–with the help of microfinance–can achieve:
Mount Apo Altura Coffee
Known for its smooth flavor with a mild and slightly sweet taste, the Mount Apo Altura Cofee “command a very high value.” The flavor—and the price—are due to a very complicated production process. To begin with, its coffee beans are selected and picked from stout Arabica trees growing at high altitudes of almost 1,500 meters above sea level. Then it is fed to the Asian civet cat. In the cat’s stomach, the beans absorb proteolytic enzymes, which makes it free from amino acids. After the civet lets the beans loose, these are washed, sterilized, and dried in the sun. Only after these steps, is the coffee roasted, making it ready for consumption. The Mount Apo Altura Coffee is widely recognized by enthusiasts as the superlative coffee experience.
Café Amadeo
Café Amadeo, according to Juan, “is famous for being a monobrand, or a single brand of a coffee town, and is run by a cooperative.” Farmers from the Café Amadeo Development Cooperative, which was established in June 28, 2002, grow the coffee in a quaint municipality in Cavite. The cooperative’s tasty selection of Robusta, Excelsa, Liverica, and Pahimis blends have brought much success to Amadeo, bringing sales of nearly Php 3 million a year for the farmers.
Rainforest Coffee
Health buffs as well as coffee lovers will definitely enjoy a savory cup of the organically produced Rainforest Coffee. Cultivated in the lush forest communities in Negros, the Rainforest Coffee is known for being the product of organic farming. “Rainforest is certified organic by a local certifying organization,” said Juan. The coffee blend is also quite tasty, and even better than some of the high-end local brands served in fancy Manila cafes.
