Digital champions and microentrepreneurs powering inclusive growth
Published Jan 19, 2026 12:05 am
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Updated Jan 18, 2026 04:14 pm
FROM THE MARGINS
For many Filipino microentrepreneurs, digital transformation is not about technology for its own sake — it is about survival, resilience, and the chance to dream bigger. The 4th Digital Financial Inclusion Awards (DFIA) brought those stories to the fore, honoring microentrepreneurs who turned digital tools into lifelines for their families and communities.
The DFIA recognizes outstanding microentrepreneurs supported by microfinance institutions (MFIs) who have successfully harnessed digital platforms to grow their businesses and expand access to financial services for low-income Filipinos. Made possible through the partnership of the Citi Foundation and the Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. (MCPI), with the support of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the DFIA build on the legacy of the Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards, which has honored more than 150 microentrepreneurs and MFIs nationwide since 2002.
At its heart, the DFIA is about innovation with purpose — how everyday entrepreneurs use social media, e-commerce platforms, mobile banking, and digital payments to navigate uncertainty and create opportunity.
Turning crisis into opportunity
For Josephia Azores of Isabela, supported by Alalay sa Kaunlaran, Inc. (ASKI), the Covid-19 pandemic became a turning point. Formerly producing paper mâché items, she pivoted to wooden kitchenware and dinnerware when demand shifted. By building a website and maximizing Facebook marketing, she not only survived but grew—posting a 20 percent increase in sales and reaching customers as far as Spain, the United States, and Canada. Digital payment platforms like GCash and PayPal made transactions faster and more efficient, cutting costs and expanding her reach.
Another ASKI awardee, Danise Palmero of Aurora, saw a gap in local services and filled it with Passfast Baler, a digitally-enabled enterprise offering delivery, ticketing, and logistics services. With a self-developed website and online payments, her business now handles up to 100 orders daily, helping create jobs in the community.
Growing businesses
In Metro Manila, Tulay sa Pag-unlad, Inc. (TSPI)-supported entrepreneur Roby Grace Bernabe achieved a remarkable 300 percent growth by selling customized printing products through Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok. Almost all transactions are digital, allowing her to manage orders efficiently while reaching customers nationwide.
In Laguna, fellow TSPI awardee Rosalie Orijola relied on Facebook promotions and a point-of-sale system to keep her family restaurant afloat during the pandemic. What began as a survival strategy turned into steady growth, with daily orders and monthly income rising significantly.
For awardees supported by Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation (NWTF), digital platforms proved crucial in strengthening local value chains. In Bohol, Mylene Bersabal expanded her mushroom-based food enterprise through Facebook and cashless payments, sourcing materials from local farmers and providing livelihood. In Negros Occidental, Gladys Maipid pivoted from furniture-making to food processing, sustaining her business through Facebook Marketplace and Messenger.
In Cebu, Edna Maloon of Ying Gowns grew her formal wear rental business online, while Cecilia Oroc revived a heritage delicacy —Tinapay Crisp — using social media, reaching both local and overseas customers.
Digital tools transform
Entrepreneurs supported by CARD Inc., CARD Bank, and CARD SME Bank showed how digital tools can transform both agriculture and creative industries. In Misamis Oriental, Carmelita Dapanas supplies fresh produce and cacao products to markets and hotels across regions using social media. In Bohol, Annalisa Monil streamlined farm-to-market transactions through Messenger orders and digital payments.
In Davao City, former OFW Raquel Lanaban grew her batik and paper wallet business by 90 percent through online engagement. In Cavite, Niel Danica Polong expanded a small food venture into a thriving online enterprise, with most orders coming through Facebook.
From Ahon sa Hirap, Inc. (ASHI), RJ De Chavez of Laguna built strong customer loyalty for his Lapoy Bistro through Facebook, while Maricar Pagao scaled her customized box-making business nationwide using social media groups, delivery platforms, and digital payments.
Supported by RAFI Microfinance, Ailyn Flormata of Cebu doubled sales of Aira Bagshop by fully embracing Facebook, Shopee, and TikTok Shop, ensuring continuous support for local weavers. In Rizal, Alan Romero — supported by Kabuhayan sa Ganap na Kasarinlan Credit and Savings Cooperative (K-Coop) — transitioned his garments business to TikTok and Shopee, tripling his income and improving his family’s quality of life, while sustaining jobs for fellow workers.
Enabling digital inclusion
These successes are made possible by strong institutional partnerships. The Citi Foundation advances inclusive economic progress through its “More than Philanthropy” approach, leveraging Citi’s global expertise. MCPI, representing about 90 percent of the Philippine microfinance sector, continues to champion sustainable and client-responsive solutions to poverty. The BSP has embedded financial inclusion as a core mandate for resilience and equitable growth.
The awarding ceremony, graced by BSP Governor Eli Remolona, Jr. and Citi Philippines CEO Paul Favila, underscored the importance of public-private collaboration in scaling digital financial inclusion.
The DFIA reaffirms a powerful truth: when digitalization is grounded in mission and inclusivity, it becomes a catalyst for transformation. The stories of the awardees show that technology can sustain livelihoods and strengthen communities.
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“A big business starts small.” – Richard Branson
(Dr. Jaime Aristotle B. Alip is a poverty eradication advocate. He is the founder of the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development Mutually-Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI), a group of 23 organizations that provide social development services to eight million economically-disadvantaged Filipinos and insure more than 27 million nationwide.)