Smart Padala and DSWD work hand-in-hand to empower microentrepreneurs. From left to right: Aaron Madolora, Chief Innovations Officer, Voyager Innovations Inc; Esperanza Mangoba, Regional Program Coordinator, Department of Social Welfare and Development; Vincent Andrew Leyson, Regional Director, Department of Social Welfare and Development; Remedios Ohoylan, Sulong Negosyo beneficiary; Evangeline Tablizo, Sulong Negosyo beneficiary; Roselyn Enriquez, Sulong Negosyo beneficiary; Nelda Ofalsa, Sulong Negosyo beneficiary; Elma Mauricio, Sulong Negosyo beneficiary; Ethel Ines, Smart Padala Marketing Head; and Lawrence Ferrer, Country Director and Vice-President for Agent and Trade Network, PayMaya Philippines. Smart Padala has collaborated with the Department of Social Welfare and Development - National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR) to provide more livelihood to the beneficiaries of the latter’s Seed Capital Fund Program. The largest remittance network in the country, along with DSWD-NCR, recently launched the ‘Sulong Negosyo, Ka-partner Mo Kami sa Pag-unlad ng iyong Negosyo’ program wherein selected microentrepreneurs of the government agency will receive livelihood trainings and Smart Padala Negosyo kits. The kit includes Php10,000 worth of seed money to be credited to their Smart Padala e-wallet, a mobile phone, and Smart Padala merchandising materials to dress up their sari-sari stores. Initial beneficiaries who received the Smart Padala Negosyo kits were selected by DSWD-NCR under its Seed Capital Fund Program. “This initiative aims to achieve a more inclusive and sustainable economic growth. We want to provide more livelihood to microentrepreneurs to improve their lives and nurture a ‘growth mindset’ among them so that they can expand their businesses and provide more for their families,” said Lawrence Ferrer, Country Director and Vice-President for Agent and Trade Network at PayMaya Philippines.