Empowering sari-sari stores, empowering Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines - The MicroVentures Foundation led by its key officers Timothy John Agulto, Aristeo Dequito and Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV together with Hapinoy co-founders and staff, recently celebrated its partnerships with private corporations, non-government organizations and government agencies in furthering their goal of supporting micro entrepreneurs in the Philippines and serving the communities. 

MicroVentures Foundation focuses on building the capacity and skills of micro entrepreneurs all over the Philippines, as well as provide needed expertise in leveling up micro entrepreneurs to potential small enterprises. Called the Hapinoy Program, the MicroVentures Foundation is tasked with providing support to micro producers in terms of helping them upgrade their products to be competitive in the market through regular training and coaching.

The Hapinoy Store Program partners with sari-sari stores (sari-sari is the Filipino word meaning various kinds), small neighborhood stores that sell daily needs, mostly basic commodities. These kinds of stores are almost always located within or as an extension of the storeowner’s home. With about 800,000 stores in the country, sari-sari stores make up 40 percent of total retail sales in the Philippines.

The Hapinoy Store Program was launched in 2007 with micro finance borrowers in mind. Upon realizing that 15 to 20 percent of micro finance borrowers use the capital to put up sari-sari stores, the Hapinoy Store Program first focused on aggregating the stores for bulk product discounts. Today, Hapinoy has evolved into a full-service micro entrepreneur enhancement program: a network of micro, small, medium and large enterprises where Hapinoy Community Stores and sari-sari stores serve as the hubs of a network for goods and services that are coursed through the program and offered to its Base of the Pyramid target.

On the ground, the Hapinoy Store Program partners with women micro entrepreneurs, who are fondly called the Hapinoy Nanays. (Nanay is the Filipino term for mother.) The program aims to help the Hapinoy Nanays have a profitable and sustainable business, reap practical and tangible benefits from partners and microfinance institutions, become knowledgeable with the help of training programs and support services and be confident and empowered.

The Hapinoy Store Program is currently in 150 communities with thousands of Hapinoy Sari-Sari Stores in the network. Its five-year plan is to be present in all cities and municipalities of the Philippines covering hundreds of thousands of sari-sari stores.