When champions meet you can be totally sure you’re in for a great show, palangga. That’s exactly what happened when three of the country’s super champions of microfinance joined hands to launch the “12th Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards (CMA),” a nationwide search for “exemplary Pinoy microentrepreneurs” organized by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Citi Philippines and the biggies of the Microfinance Council of the Philippines (MCPI).
BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. and Citi Philippines chief executive officer Batara Sianturi attended, “to emphasize the importance of microfinance and how CMA has become an eye-opener for those who aspire to become successful microentrepreneurs.”
“The microfinance sector continues to grow across the Philippines and I have personally witnessed how microentrepreneurs survived scarcity by making their business a reliable source of family income,” said Tetangco to the approval of the invitees, palangga.
Next on stage was Sianturi who said that through the CMA, “we wish to put the spotlight on the men and women who have found sustainable solutions to escape poverty.”
True enough, three women achievers, namely, Marylyn Cleto (regional awardee for Luzon), Regina Paller (regional awardee for Visayas) and Maria Gudilla Argabio (special awardee for
agri micro-business), graced the launch to share how CMA transformed their lives and their communities. With help from their partner microfinance institutions, these entrepreneurs have made their small businesses grow, allowing them to provide a better future for their famille and employment for their community.
Now that certainly deserves a bravo, di bala?
This year’s CMA awardees received cash prizes, yearlong life and health insurance coverage, entrepreneurship training at Citi Microenterprise Development Center, a laptop, and basic computer training. They also gained membership to the exclusive CMA Alumni Network to build their market connections. Hey, not bad at all gals, go for it!
The CMA has generated 93 winners since its launch in 2002 by the three institutions. Since then, this award-winning program has been adopted, dahlings, by Citi in 32 other countries and is still growing.
Editor feted at Seda
The très chic Seda BGC hosted an intimate post-birthday bash for Mia Borromeo, the editor-at-large of Philippine Tatler’s Travel Magazine, at Straight Up, the hotel’s fab and chic roof-deck bar. The event was totally perfect for the girls’ night out and introduced the “aperi-dinner” buffet, a regular hotel offering on Fridays and Saturdays.
Seda’s group general manager, el simpatico Andrea Mastellone, welcomed Mia and her invitees to the bar’s VIP Room which was reserved exclusively for their use. Adjacent is an al fresco area where you get a gorgeous panoramic view of Bonifacio Global City’s dazzling skyline.
A medley of Mia’s favorite songs was played nonstop while wines and yummy aperitifs flowed nonstop. The tapas were ideal as pre-dinner fare, which was actually the original concept in Italy. It can also be a light meal in itself as it provided the ladies with various options for Mia’s très special celebration.
Attendees included namedroppables like Steps owner Sofia Zobel-Elizalde; Marilou Toda Batchelor, adorable wife of Fairmont Hotel GM David Batchelor; New York-based lawyer Tunting Cruz; fashionable Margarita Delgado; Marilen Elizalde; designer Lulu Tan-Gan; housewife-turned-successful-dress-designer Techie Hagedorn; columnist and charity fundraiser Frannie Aguinaldo Jacinto; Pilar Martinez-Miranda; eye-catching Fiona Ottiger; fun Tinette Puyat and vivaciously adorable Marit Yuchengco.
That was an awesome birthday bash that our princess of the day Mia Vazquez Borromeo will not forget, dahlings.
High-voltage luncheon
One of the strongest, super powerful clubs in the country, the R.G. Manabat & Co. (RGM&Co.), Philippine member firm of KPMG International, and Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) hosted a high-voltage luncheon in honor of Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and Malaysia’s Second Finance Minister Dato’ Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah at the Tower Club, Philamlife Tower in Makati City.
Giving the opening remarks during the special lunch were the amicable and brilliant BAP president Lorenzo Tan and KPMG Asia-Pacific chair Tham Sai Choy, followed by Dato’ Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, who gave the hot namedroppables a glimpse of financial stability in the Asean Economic Community.
The guest list was like a general meeting of electrifying power minds and a roll call from the banking world, that looked like a conference being held in Davos, Switzerland, would you believe, dahlings?
For more info, visit www.kpmg.com.ph.
