By Minerva Newman SAN FERNANDO, Cebu – A Ce­buana midwife has been named as the Youth Micro-entrepreneur of the Year by the Citi Foundation for starting a birthing clinic in San Fernando, Cebu. Mary Grace Bayalas was awarded the title during the 16th Citi Micro-en­trepreneurship Awards (CMA) held in San Fernando last Wednesday. Bayalas, 29, was commended for putting up the Bayalas Birthing Home and Family Planning Services in her hometown. After passing the midwifery board exam in 2012, she turned a small apart­ment into a clinic primarily for deliver­ing babies. "Before you go into any business, you have to love what you are doing. If you don't love what you're doing, you will not have a productive outcome," Bayalas said. The CMA is an initiative of the Citi Foundation to generate economic op­portunities for low-income earners. The awards program provides entrepreneurs with resources to strengthen their business, including access to networks, capital, tools and training. The CMA program incorporates the combined efforts of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Citi Phil­ippines, and the Microfinance Coun­cil of the Philippines, Inc. (MCPI) to strengthen microfinance and enter­prise development, and financial inclu­sion in the country. In an interview with media, Baya­las said as a student, she would buy her own forceps and other birthing equipment in the hopes of one day put­ting up her own birthing clinic. She noted that in San Fernando, which is more than 30 kilometers from Cebu City, women were still giving birth in their homes and lacked the special attention needed during their pregnancy. “I was only 22 when I started the clinic. When people found out I was the midwife, they would ask me if I was skilled and experienced enough. Not only was I young, I am also barely five foot tall,” she narrated. While waiting for her clinic to be accredited by the Philippine Health In­surance Corporation, Bayalas offered prenatal check-ups free of charge. In starting up the clinic, she had her share of intrigues. Bayalas said some municipal health personnel tried to convince pregnant women to seek care only from the municipal birthing center, or their babies would not be able to avail of free vaccination. Bayalas talked to the municipal health officer and brought her concern to the provincial health office, empha­sizing that it was a mother’s right to choose where to receive healthcare. To gain the trust of her communi­ty, she went to barangays to hold free seminars, prenatal check-ups, and counseling for mothers free of charge. With help from RAFI Micro-fi­nance, Inc. (RMF) the clinic grew from a two-bed facility to seven. Bayalas also expanded her servic­es to include family planning. In 2016, she put up a sari-sari store in the remote barangay of Bugho to provide residents easy access to ev­eryday needs. Her store is currently the biggest in the area.