CARD MRI hosts Media Lakbay-Aral in Iloilo City

Posted on October 04, 2022

Media practitioners from Panay Island, Negros Occidental, Cebu, and Laguna attended a Media Lakbay-Aral hosted by CARD MRI in Iloilo City.

CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI) gathered media practitioners from various organizations for a three-day Lakbay-Aral in Iloilo City to raise awareness of microfinance’s impact on poverty eradication in the country on September 21-23, 2022.

The event was attended by 14 media participants namely: Emericson Crisostomo, publisher of The Morning Chronicles; Joseph Bernard Marzan, senior reporter of The Daily Guardian; Felipe Celino, correspondent of The Daily Guardian; Armando Toga, editor of the Negros Daily Bulletin; Raffy Butch Bacaoco, columnist of the Negros Daily Bulletin; Jun Ariolo Aguirre, editor of Hala Birada; Vladimir Asperec, editor of The Wednesday Herald; Carlo Lorenciana, sub business editor of SunStar Cebu; Nebuchadnezzar Aller, editor-in-chief of Capiz News Highlights Co.; Diadem Kee Paderes and Mary Ann Solis, writers of Radyo Todo Aklan; Jonathan Gaton, anchorman of Pasiplat Broadcasting Services; Reymar Latoza, writer of the Iloilo Metropolitan Times; and Emmanuel Alcalde of News Express.

Through the event, the media participants caught a glimpse of the programs of CARD MRI in microfinance, microinsurance, and heritage tourism. They visited the offices of Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD), Inc., CARD Bank, Inc., and CARD Mutual Benefit Association, Inc. Centers of the two financial institutions were also visited where the media participants had the opportunity to witness how clients transact with their respective account officers. Clients were also visited to highlight the impact of the services that the financial institutions provide.

The media participants were also invited to experience the Hijos de los Rios Heritage Tour, a tour program facilitated by CARD MRI Hijos Tours. Through this program, locals of the city were tapped to showcase their talents and enterprises telling the history of Iloilo City.

Their exposure to these programs was concluded by a media briefing. CARD MRI was represented by the following: CARD Publishing President Marilyn M. Manila, CARD Publishing Deputy Director Cyrene Lubigan, CARD Bank Regional Director Shiela Mercado, CARD Bank Area Manager Rey Samillano, CARD Bank Area Manager Jese Jun Erjas, CARD, Inc. Operations Director Juvy Ocate, CARD, Inc. Regional Director Anabel Sagan, CARD, Inc. Area Manager Cherry Love Sustiguer, CARD MBA Cluster Head Catherine Patay, CARD MBA Provincial Manager Reinson Asong, and Hijos Tours Deputy Director Raffy Antes.

“One of CARD MRI’s mission is to partner with like-minded individuals and organizations in pushing our advocacy for poverty eradication. We recognize that our linkages with the media have accelerated the dissemination of CARD MRI’s message of hope and empowerment through our financial and community development programs,” Manila stated.

CARD, Inc., CARD Bank, CARD MBA, CARD Publishing, and Hijos Tours are all member-institutions of CARD MRI, a group of organizations established in 1986 with a common goal of poverty eradication.