Filipina Regala, 43, fondly called Pines, has been a member and group leader of Pagasa in Tarlac since 2012. Even prior to joining Pagasa, she already operates a sari-sari store in front of her house. In the past however, her weekly capitalization was small, thus the income she got from the store was not so much. To complement the income of the store, her husband delivered softdrinks to his sibling’s store.

As with other clients, her initial loan was 5000 pesos which she used to buy more goods to sell in her store. Soon enough, her once a week visit to the market and grocery to resupply her goods became twice a week. She buys 3000 to 4000 pesos worth of supplies every week. She began to stack up more items and eventually bought a refrigerator to sell cold drinks as well.  These, according to her would not have been possible without the loan she got from Pagasa.

“Of course it (loan) was a big help because without the loan, we won’t have enough capital to continue selling,” she said.

In 2014, she invested in the operation of Pisonet. Pisonet is a mini-internet café that charges the customers one peso for every 4 or 5 minutes of internet use. She has four computer units located across the store in her house’s yard.

“We open (the cash register) every two weeks. On average, we earn 3500. At first it was really profitable earning about 8000 but after a while, we only earn about 3500 to 4000 but the income is stable to that’s still good.”

Just recently, she loaned 32,000 from Pagasa, more than half of which she allocated for the sari-sari store business and the rest for her family’s expenses.  Most of the income from the store and the Pisonet goes to her family’s expenses as well to pay for bills and to send her children to school. Two of her three children go to school so she uses her income to pay for tuition fees and school expenses. The eldest is already graduating from a degree in Information Technology from Tarlac State University and the youngest is at Grade 11. Soon enough, she will be able to achieve her dream for her children to get their college degree.

“I want my children to finish school so that in the future, I won’t have to borrow money anymore because they’ll be able to help me out,” she said.

She’s also thankful that Pagasa has offered insurance as part of the services to its clients.

“When the staff said that they’ll be offering insurance, I was happy because you’ll never know what will happen. You do not have control over your life so it’s better to be secured. So when you’re gone, you’ll leave something behind to your family. That way, you won’t become a burden to them.”

When asked about her future plans, she said she wanted to continue doing the business and hopefully expanding it further. However, she notes that a key to be successful is to remain humble.

“Even if I’m earning more now, I usually don’t brag about it. I tell them I just earn this much so they won’t talk about you or feel that you’re bragging.”

The humility manifests even as she does her task a group leader where she leads more than thirty members of her Group EB Babes.

“I try to be calm and kind to my group so that they won’t say anything bad against me. I help out members who aren’t able to pay up their loans. We try to help each other out in times of need.”

For now, she hopes to continue serving as a Group Leader and availing of Pagasa’s loan services.

“I like how Pagasa operates because the policies are clear to me. As long as I’m able to do my business and maybe until I’m 60 and qualified, I’ll still be availing of the loans.”

Pagasa Philippines Lending Company Inc. turns 10 this June.

In June 2007, ASA International established PPLCI, its first affiliate outside of Bangladesh. PPLCI was registered in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a Lending Company providing microfinance loan services to the poor under the Lending Company Regulation Act.

Expansion of Operations

Since its establishment, Pagasa has grown into a formidable microfinance industry player providing quality loan services to 262, 448 members in 16,373 groups in 250 branches nationwide.

With a  total loan outstanding of PhP 1,709,544,497, Pagasa has come a long way since it started its operation in 2007. It is nearing its initial goal of setting up 350 branches to serve half a million people by 2020. In the first quarter of 2017 alone,  eighteen (18) new branches were opened: fifteen (15) of which are PPLCI branches and three (3) are PMPFI branches.

Social performance

Cognizant of its nature and mandate as a microfinance company and guided by its social mission of “establishing a poverty-free society through microfinance,” Pagasa has been making strides in ensuring that its operation, ultimately serve the poor as it grows its portfolio and expands. Social performance management is just as important as the financial performance management aspect of the company.

In this spirit, the company has committed to uphold the Universal Standards of Social Performance, SMART Campaign’s Client Protection Principles, and just recently, affirmed its commitment to social and environmental governance through a set of policies directed towards protecting the environment; elimination of sexual harassment; preparing for emergencies; upholding integrity through identification of exclusion list, fighting anti-money laundering, and upholding whistle blower rights; eliminating discrimination; and developing proactive engagement with its stakeholders.

These policies are directed towards making the management more responsive not just to the clients but to the employees as well.

In 2016, Pagasa also intensified its corporate social responsibility with the initial implementation of the One Scholar per Branch Program that benefited 30 children of our members. The beneficiaries were given scholarship grant that helped them get through the final year of their studies in college or in a vocational course.

In 2017, the program was expanded and the company hopes to provide scholarships to 100 more members’ children.

A decade of development

All these efforts are directed towards ensuring that our client, women and men alike, are served better. A decade is a long time. The challenges faced by the company in making a dent in the Philippine microfinance industry have been plenty, but, PPLCI brave the challenges with the entrepreneurial poor Filipinos who hope with us in mind. Now more than ever, PPLCI is steadfast in fulfilling its social mission of establishing a poverty-free society through microfinance, through decades to come.

Join us in the continuing journey of the company to serve the poor and the marginalized. Join us as we create opportunities for the poor in decades to come.

#PPLCIat10

Eighteen (18) new branches were opened during the first quarter of 2017, fifteen (15) of which are PPLCI branches and three (3) are PMPFI branches.

In North Luzon Division, new branches were opened in Tuguegarao – Team 1 last January 1, Ilagan last February 1, and Tuguegarao – Team 2 last March 1.  These branches are under PMPFI Ilagan Region.

In South Luzon, PPLCI branches were opened in Daet last April 1, Bulan, Labo , and Sorsogon City last March 1, Calabanga last February 1, and Sipocot last January 1. The opening of these branches signify the continued growth and presence of Pagasa in the Bicol Region having a total of 13 branches established from 2016. In light of the new developments, a restructuring of region has also ocurred. Bicol now has three regions, Sipocot, Sorsogon and Ligao.

Eight (8) new branches have also been opened in Visayas adding to the twenty-five branches opened last year. This marks Pagasa’s entry into Cebu and Negros Oriental.  The new branches in Visayas are Dumaguete opened on January 1, Bugasong on January 4, Guihulngan, Bayawan and Bais opened on February 1, and Tanjay, Lapu,-Lapu and Cebu opened on March 1.

From twenty-five (25) branches as of December 2016, Visayas Division now has thirty-three (33) branches. 2 new regions were also created, Cebu and Dumaguete to better manage the operations of the newly opened branches. All the new branches fall under Dumaguete  Region except for Lapu-Lapu and Cebu which falls under Cebu Region and Tanjay which falls under La Carlota.

Meanwhile, in South Mindanao, Calumpang – Team 2 was opened last January 1 making the total number of branches to forty-three (43).

This expansion is well within the goal of reaching out to more entrepreneurial poor in the region. As per management plan, twenty-three (23) new branches will be opened in 2017. At present, PPLCI and PMPFI have a combined 260 total number of branches nationwide. It is hoped that at the end of 2017, the total number of branches will be two-hundred sixty-five (265).

Pagasa Philippines awarded twenty-three (23)  scholars a grant of PhP 20,000.00 each for the second semester of 2016-2017 for its newly-launched “One Scholar per Branch Program.”

The scholars were identified from among 30+ nominations who have met the criteria from across the branches all over the Philippines. The goal of the program is to help borrowers provide for the education needs of their children.

North Luzon scholars are Camille Manalastas (Gapan) and Renzol Timbol Lugtu (Mabalacat). For NCR: Jay-Arr P. Dasigan and Mark Lester Pidlaoan (Novaliches), Rick Charles R. Basilio (Paco), Helen Asis Rieza (Pasig Rosario), Ma. Delmar Bigata (Taytay) and Mario Maligon Javier (Valenzuela)

South Luzon scholars are Glaine Daly C. Estrella (GMA-Cavite), Cathlyn G. Ordonez (Imus) Donald Kandog and Marian Joyce Manalo (Las Pinas), Merck Steven Lu (Lucena), Nicky C. Salvador (Naic), and Micko Panganiban (Silang).

North Mindanao scholars are  Shiela Mae Villorejo (El Salvador, Rapha Jamero (Carmen), Edmon Plaza Cuares (Trento) and,  Bernardo B. Sabuero (Cabadbaran).

South Mindanao scholars are Jan Paul Satam (Kidapawan), Vera-Ellen Diamante (Padada), Irish Olenares (Surallah) and Josie Marie Shaira Maghari (Tibungco).

Among the 23 scholars, majority are taking courses in Education,  Economics and Management, Information Technology, and Engineering. Few are into Communication, Midwifery, Biology and Criminology.

Josie Marie Shaira Maghari, daughter of member Maria Rossini Maghari of Tibungco branch wrote a heartfelt letter as part of the application. An excerpt reads “(Pagasa) has been a big help for me and my family especially for my…education. Pagasa has been a very big contributor to our success, helping my family throughout the years…Thank you Pagasa for the continuous help and inspiring people to fulfil our dreams even with financial difficulties.”

Each branch in operation for at least three years with clients of 1100 and above were asked to nominate a scholar. The nominees are sons or daughters of clients who have been with Pagasa for at least three (3) years with good loan repayment records. The nominees are graduating college or technical-vocational students with good/passing grades.

The Client Services Committee, in-charge of the program, hopes to receive more nominations completing the 50 scholars originally targeted. Pagasa has allotted PhP 2 million for the program.

Pagasa Philippines Lending Company Inc. wishes all our women members, staff and officers Happy International Women’s Day 2017!

Sharing with you a poem by Nancy Smith entitled “For Every Woman” for today’s celebration:

                                               For Every Woman

                                     By Nancy R. Smith (copyright 1973)

For every woman who is tired of acting weak when she knows she is strong,

there is a man who is tired of appearing strong when he feels vulnerable.

The dream team. Elma’s husband (left) and daughter-in-law help her in managing the store.

Aside from the store/eatery, Pagasa has also helped her and her family acquire some investments. Because of the loan she received from Pagasa, they were able to purchase a motorized tricycle which his husband drives part-time in the afternoon after his cooking duties in the store. They earn extra income from this as well. A single motor has also been purchased which they use when going to the market to purchase supplies for the store. Their house has also been built in 2016 because of the growing income of the business and some allocations from her loan. She spent 40000 for the house to be built. Just in January, her eldest son got married, a celebration that would have not been possible if not for the steady income and cash flow she generates from the business.

“Without Pagasa, I wouldn’t have been able to set up my store, I wouldn’t have a motorcycle and a house. I wouldn’t even have hope,” she said.

Hope for the future

When asked how she was able to manage all the expenses, she said it’s a matter of setting one’s mind to the goal and to veer away from distractions. “Don’t use the money for gambling or for alcohol. When you engage in gambling, you get nothing in return. If you take loan just to finance gambling or your vices, you’ll be in trouble paying up your loan.”

In two years, she hopes to further expand her business. They just transferred the store to a bigger space in February. She hopes to also set up a barbecue stand beside the store. Just last November she renewed for a loan of thirty thousand which she used for the transfer and further expansion of the business. She looks to the future with hope. “In the past our life was difficult. We’re ok now that I am able to take loan from Pagasa. It helps us a lot,” she said.

TANGLAW PAGASA’s (beam of hope) logo and name represent the glimmer of hope that Pagasa provides its members and clients through Microfinance.

The first issue covers the months of September 2016 to January 2017.

Limited copies will be printed for distribution to the branches, offices, and partner institutions.

Happy reading!

In January, Pagasa Philippines Lending Company will launch its very own Quarterly Newsletter ‘TANGLAW PAGASA” to bring you the latest news and information about Pagasa Philippines.

Take part in this endeavor and share your stories with us.

More details soon!