Nanays and tatays in the cities of Talisay and Lapu-Lapu in Cebu who want to start their own small business no longer need to travel far to access to seed capital with the opening of Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Micro-finance branches in these locales last December.
RAFI Micro-finance Executive Director Ma. Theresa Catipay said they decided to open a branch in Lapu-Lapu as the number of clients from the city has grown and heavy traffic hampers their regular visits to the branch in Mandaue City. They expect to help more clients while easing commute for their staff who are affected by the traffic situation.
With roughly 100,000 members in the provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, and Negros Oriental, RAFI Micro-finance is a program under its Micro-finance & Entrepreneurship focus area and designed to empower women micro-entrepreneurs in the Visayas to become financially stable and independent. The loans it provides are used as start-up capital for businesses that support families and send children to school.
Ailyne May Lim, RAFI Micro-finance Deputy Director for Operations, said that services they offer are extended according to the needs of the clients but the main goal, she emphasized, is to make a client’s business progressive. In addition, there are also other services like housing, financial literacy training, Philhealth, and educational program, among others, that the program provides.