16th Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards Launched

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) governor Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr. and Citi Philippines CEO Aftab Ahmed jointly announced the launch of the 16th Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards (CMA) during the recently held annual conference of the Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. (MCPI).

Since its inception in 2002, the CMA awards program, a partnership among BSP, Citi Philippines and MCPI, with funding support from Citi Foundation, has been steadfast in its commitment towards recognizing entrepreneurs who have beat the odds, lifting themselves and others out of poverty. The awards also recognize the strong support from microfinance institutions as key partners, underscoring the role these organizations play in financial inclusion and enterprise development.

In his keynote speech, governor Espenilla took note of how digital technology has made an impact in the development of microfinance in the country. “The digital revolution is fundamentally reshaping the financial inclusion landscape and traditional financial value chains,” he said. “Rapid digital innovations in financial technologies have led to the emergence of more dynamic business models.”

"Amidst all the talk of technology and disruption, it is only appropriate that we continue to showcase inspiring stories through the Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards, which has served as a vehicle for inspiring microentrepreneurs nationwide to achieve greater heights,” says Espenilla.

The event saw the introduction of the commemorative book “From Modest Dreams to Microentrepreneurial Triumphs,” which shares success stories of past CMA winners, inspiring tales of winning against adversity through hard work and perseverance.

In his remarks, Citi’s Ahmed said: “The Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards are about the passion, energy, and commitment of microentrepreneurs who want to do better for themselves and their families. At Citi, we are proud to help people pursue their dreams because we are committed to making a difference in the communities where we live and work.”

Governor Espenilla and Aftab Ahmed serve as co-chairpersons of the CMA National Selection Committee. Other members include industry and community leaders such as Ayala Corporation president Fernando Zobel de Ayala; RFM Corporation president and CEO Jose Ma. Concepcion III; GMA Network, Inc. chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe Gozon; former Philippine Daily Inquirer chairperson Marixi Rufino-Prieto; DTI secretary Ramon Lopez; SPARK! Philippines trustee Imelda Nicolas; SM Investments Corporation vice chair Teresita Sy-Coson; Voyager Innovations, Inc. president Orlando Vea; National MSME Development Council-Mindanao Private Sector representative Mary Ann Montemayor; and University of the Philippines Diliman chancellor Dr. Michael Tan.

The awards are open to microenterprises with business assets up to PhP3 million. The award categories are Microentrepreneur of the Year Award, regional awardees from the three major island groups (Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao), Youth Microentrepreneur of the Year, and special awards for agri micro-business, community leadership, and green/sustainable business.

The national winner of the Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards will receive PhP200,000 while the three regional awardees, the youth awardee, and special awardees will each get PhP100,000. The loan officers and MFI branches of each awardee are also given  a cash incentive of PhP10,000. Semi-finalists will receive a cash incentive of PhP10,000.

In addition to cash prizes, long-term sustainability of the winning microenterprises is of vital importance, thus, entrepreneurship training and mentoring is also provided at the Citi Microenterprise Development Center.

About Citi Foundation

The Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. We invest in efforts that increase financial inclusion, catalyze job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant cities. The Citi Foundation's "More than Philanthropy" approach leverages the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to fulfill our mission and drive thought leadership and innovation.

About Citi

Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.

Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com | Twitter: @Citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Blog: http://blog.citigroup.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi

About Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc.

The Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. (MCPI) is the national network of microfinance institutions (MFIs) and support organizations in the Philippines advocating sustainable, innovative, and client-responsive solutions to poverty in the country. MCPI is currently comprised of 61 members (48 MFIs, 2 regional networks, and 11 support organisations) which account for 80 percent of the microfinance sector in the Philippines. Its key programs include advocacy, capacity building for MFIs, social performance management and client protection in microfinance, knowledge management, and network development.

Mylan Launches Hepatitis C Awareness Campaign in Association with the Hepatology Society of Philippines

Mylan, one of the world’s leading global pharmaceutical companies, in association with the Hepatology Society of Philippines (HSP), launched an awareness campaign for Hepatitis C in the country. The BEATHepC (Become educated, aware, tested and treated) campaign aims at spreading awareness about the disease. It will include dissemination of information through pamphlets and promoting screening among Filipinos at risk.

The Department of Health (DoH) estimates that around 1% of the Filipino population has chronic hepatitis C1. According to the 2010 study on Global Burden of Disease by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, university of Washington viral hepatitis causes 1 million deaths each year in the Asia Pacific region. Hepatitis C is endemic in the Philippines and there is a lack of awareness about viral hepatitis and its transmission, prevention, screening, and management among patients, public, and healthcare providers.

Speaking at the launch event, Dr. Jade Jamias, Liver Specialist and President of HSP said, “Chronic Hepatitis C infection may lead to serious complications such as cirrhosis and/or liver cancer. Patients with hepatitis C often do not show early symptoms and so it becomes very critical to educate the people about this infection. Early detection is key to treatment and prevention of liver disease progression. The positive news is that treatment for this disease is now easily accessible to all.”

Ms. Ester Tacanay, Country Manager of Mylan in Philippines said, “Hepatitis C is a chronic public health concern in the Philippines. At Mylan Philippines we are committed to provide access to medicine for treatment of hepatitis C with the objective of reducing the disease burden. Through the BEATHepC campaign Mylan aims to create awareness around risks and misconceptions about the disease and encourage early screening and treatment to prevent the disease. We are happy to partner with HSP to drive this campaign across Philippines.”

Mylan’s BEATHepC campaign supports the National Viral Hepatitis Task Force (NVHTF) 2 to eliminate or significantly decrease the prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C in the Philippines.

About Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a disease that affects the liver and is caused by the hep C virus. Hep C is usually spread when blood from a person infected with the hep C virus enters the body of someone who is not infected. Hep C generally progresses slowly, over the course of 10 to 40 years. It attacks and damages the liver, killing liver cells in the process. As a result, scar tissue forms, a process called fibrosis. For about 10 to 20 percent of people infected, Hep C can eventually lead to scarring of the liver (also called cirrhosis). Although some people will experience symptoms, about 80 percent of people with acute Hep C do not have any symptoms.

About Mylan

Mylan is a global pharmaceutical company committed to setting new standards in healthcare. Working together around the world to provide 7 billion people access to high quality medicine, we innovate to satisfy unmet needs; make reliability and service excellence a habit; do what's right, not what's easy; and impact the future through passionate global leadership. We offer a growing portfolio of more than 7,500 marketed products around the world, including antiretroviral therapies on which more than 40% of people being treated for HIV/AIDS globally depend. We market our products in more than 165 countries and territories. We are one of the world's largest producers of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Every member of our approximately 35,000-strong workforce is dedicated to creating better health for a better world, one person at a time. Learn more at Mylan.com. We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at investor.mylan.com.

About Hepatology Society of the Philippines

The Hepatology Society of the Philippines is a non-governmental organization committed to:

• Provide and promote comprehensive information to the public and to the medical community.
• Promote research to advance the field of hepatology to provide relevant care to patients.
• Collaborate with the government in formulating in liver related health policies

It is the only liver society recognized by the Philippine Medical Association, Philippine College of Physicians, Philippine Society of Gastroenterology and Philippine Society of Digestive Endoscopy. For further information, visit www.hsp.org.ph

The Filipina Cartoonist Who’s Making a Splash in the World Stage

While artwork from local comic strip legends such as Mars Ravelo (“Darna”) and Carlo J. Carapas (“Panday”) are utterly adored throughout the country, there is little local attention being given to a Filipina cartoonist who is making big waves all around the world.

From critical acclaim and major showcases, to features in prominent comics conventions and anthologies, November Garcia’s wild ride to international notice began in earnest just a few years ago — yet, it is something that she’s been working towards her entire life.

Born and raised in the Philippines, November Garcia always drew and created comics for fun. However, it wasn’t until she moved to San Francisco in her early 20s to attend art school that she discovered indie and underground comics. “Reading Peter Bagge, R. Crumb and Jim Woodring is what made me want to seriously make comics.”

“I tried to avoid doing any real writing because I wasn’t confident in my abilities. Meanwhile, my professors would encourage me to enter pieces into the school’s art shows even though I never got in. I guess they always loved my funny ideas and weirdo characters but my art was lacking in execution.”

Returning home to the Philippines in 2014, she continued to make comics, persistently and diligently focusing on improving her craft, often just posting her work online to little notice. Then, in a combination of sheer luck and fortuitous timing, Matt Moses of Hic and Hoc Publications happened upon her blog and offered to publish her first comic.