RAFI Micro-finance urges micro entrepreneur clients to go digital
Ma. Theresa Catipay (left), RAFI Micro-finance Inc. vice president for operations, and Jonar Dorado (right), chief operating officer, urge their client-micro enterpreneurs to use digitalization to expand their businesses. |CDND Photo/ Irene R. Sino Cruz
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Digitalization is the way to go for micro entrepreneurs to be able to access a wider market for their products.
This was the focus of the RAFI Micro-finance Inc. (RMFI) Entrepreneur’s Summit held Wednesday, December 11, 2019, at the City Sports Club, Cebu Business Park, Cebu City.
The summit, with the theme “Embracing Technologies: Digital Transformation for MSMEs,” brought together around 200 clients from different provinces.
RMFI hoped that the success stories of social entrepreneurs featured during the summit would inspire their clients and that the could learn more about entrepreneurship and how to build networks with other entrepreneurs and possible business partners.
“This a venue for learning. They get inspiration (from the success stories). That’s why we bring in speakers who are successful entrepreneurs so they can learn and get tips on how to manage their business,” said Ma.Theresa Catipay, RMFI vice president for operations.
According to Catipay, they invited 200 of the 350,000 clients to participate in the summit. These clients were selected because they were the ones who were growing their businesses, she added.
Since 98 of their clients have cell phones and have Facebook accounts, RMFI wanted to teach them them to use these for their business, said Jonar Dorado, RMFI chief operating officer.
Dorado explained that they wanted their clients to realize that they could maximize the digital world to gain access to a wider market.
“Part of the mandate of RAFI is not just providing financial services. Our focus is also to provide non-financial services. We continuously capacitate our clients, provide education,” he said.
RMFI is a program of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) engaged in providing micro-finance services to underprivileged entrepreneurs in the Visayas.
RMFI operates in the provinces of Biliran, Bohol, Cebu, Eastern Samar, Iloilo, Leyte, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Northern Samar, Siquijor and Southern Leyte./elb
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