CARD partners with DTI to complement P3 program

IN SUPPORT to the government program Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso (P3), the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD), Inc. inked a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recently at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila.

With the said memorandum, CARD, Inc. agrees to provide the number of its outreach in 20 selected provinces in Sorsogon, Zamboanga Sibugay, Negros Oriental, Leyte, Catanduanes, North Cotabato, Western Samar, Mt. Province, Lanao del Norte, Eastern Samar, Agusan del Sur, Siquijor, Zamboanga del Norte, Sultan Kudarat, Bukidnon, Maguindanao, Northern Samar, Saranggani, Sulu, and Lanao del Sur. CARD, a microfinance NGO and a member institution of CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI), is providing financial and non-financial services to disadvantaged families nationwide.

“CARD, though financially independent from the government program, is happy to share our number of outreach to the P3 program by providing the Filipino families not only financial access but also livelihood, micro-enterprise development, and financial literacy trainings,” Jocelyn Dequito, In previous occasion, Senator Aquino sent his representative to attend the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Misamis Oriental Hearing which discussed the planned closure of BSU-ESCs by the Commission on Higher Education. Also in the meeting were Former Quezon Province Provincial Board Member Gerald A. Ortiz and Misamis Oriental Sangguniang Panlalawigan Secretary Atty. Ernesto R. Sotto, Jr. CARD, Inc. Executive Director, said.

“We are one with the government to eradicate poverty in the country,” Dequito added. DTI and CARD both aim to improve the quality of life of the unserved and underserved communities by providing programs that would address their needs and eventually improve their quality of life.

“We are happy that the P3 program sees the position of microfinance in the development of social and economic conditions of every family in the country,” said Flordeliza Sarmiento, CARD MRI Managing Director.

The DTI’s P3 Program is the answer of the Duterte administration to replace the “5-6” money lending system and help mSMEs around the country by giving them cheap and easy credit access to start, grow, and expand their enterprises.

The partnership, which already started last July 1, 2017,has served 5,883 clients on the said 20 provinces with P77,252,000 loans disbursed. “CARD MRI continues to partner with different organizations with the same mission as ours to fulfill our purpose as a social development organization,” said Sarmiento.

CARD MRI is now serving 4.6 million clients all over the country through financial, microfinance, education, health and livelihood programs, and other capacity-building services that would help them move out from poverty. (PR)