CARD MRI and Citi Microentrepreneur Awards conduct town hall celebratory meeting for Luzon’s outstanding microentrepreneur

MASBATE – The Citi Microentrepreneur Awards (CMA) Country Team in partnership with CARD Bank, Inc., a member institution of CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI) organized a celebratory town hall meeting for Mrs. Ernanie Llema, 2014 Citi Microentrepreneurship Regional awardee for Luzon as part of the awards program of CMA. It was held at the town hall of Cawayan, Masbate last January 22, 2015.

The celebratory meeting aims to increase awareness on microentrepreneurship at the local level and at the same time inspire other microentrepreneurs to become achievers as well. The idea is to repeat what happened during the December 2014 awarding ceremony in Manila, where seven winners were awarded from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, but within the town of each winner.

Present to commend the winner were Mrs. Dolores Torres, Mrs. Lorenza Bañez and Mr. June Frances, the President and CEO of CARD Bank Inc., Executive Vice President of CARD Bank, Inc. and Communications Manager of Microfinance Council of the Philippines (MCPI) respectively. Citi Philippines, Bangko Sentral and MCPI are the partners behind CMA.

Mrs. Llema, who has been a member of CARD Bank, Inc. since 2007, has improved her economic condition and inspired many individuals through continuous hard work.  She is the owner of REL Seafoods Buyer and Dealer, a business that contributes to the local economy, not only generating employment in their local community but also promoting the spirit and discipline of entrepreneurship. She also serves as the model citizen of the community with high moral standards and exhibiting socially responsible behavior.

In 1992, she and her husband formed their business from their savings and with a motor boat they own. Years after, their hard work paid off and they were able to add more motorboats from the profits they earned. They were also able to get customers from Manila and entered into a supply agreement with an international crab meat manufacturing company based in Cebu. Mrs. Llema is hands-on to their business. Her family is also highly involved in the operation. “My husband and I understand each other. If we have something to decide on, we make sure that we talk about it. We also seek the advice of our children and ask them if our decision is right. We involve them in our business to have a strong relationship, just like what we did when we were starting,” said Mrs. Llema.

Mrs. Llema is one of the 2.8 million clients of CARD MRI who won as the national winner of the 2013 Galing ni Nanay Awards, an award giving body of CARD MRI that recognizes outstanding microentrepreneurs among its clients.