NP awards 16 entrepreneurs

MANILA, Philippines – The Nacionalista Party awarded P100,000 each to 16 entrepreneurs who are models of hard work and perseverance during the celebration of the party’s centennial yesterday.

Senate President Manuel Villar Jr., NP president, said the 16 budding entrepreneurs were selected from the different regions and were rewarded as part of the party’s program dubbed “Pondo sa Sipag, Puhunan sa Tiyaga.”

The P100,000 capital grant was awarded to the following: 

Region 1 – Sarah Dabucon (SCUFYND food processing) and Margarita Allado (agricultural store); Region 2 – Albino Francisco (repair service shop), Calma Arcala (Cali’s mushroom farm), Albert Dulnuan (rattan seedling nursery), Elizabeth Africano (Franco’s café) and Solomon Maylem (farm); Region 3 – Pacifico de la Cruz (wild duck raising); Region 4 – Antonia Villanueva (Tonette’s footwear); Region 5 – Marianne Olano (Baycrafts Shoppe); Region 6 – Roland Madera (Babylan’s cococraft); Region 7 – Lucresia Saga (Aling Lucring’s sari-sari store); Region 12 –  Elizabeth Rafal (Sto. Niño food processing); Cordillera Administrative Region – Marie Saclag (Ayatu’s ethnic crafts) and Regina Madio (Praj’s gift shop); and Caraga – Ernesto Paglinawan (corn coffee business).

“We give due recognition to our entrepreneurs who have exemplified the Filipino spirit of excellence and resilience in their respective fields even amid trying times,” Villar said.

The NP and the Sipag at Tiyaga Foundation have joined hands to realize NP’s vision of propelling entrepreneurs through the Pondo sa Sipag, Puhunan sa Tiyaga initiative.

The search for the most promising and innovative entrepreneurs was launched in November last year during the NP centennial celebration.

Earlier, the products of the winning entrepreneurs were exhibited in several booths at the Market! Market! Shopping Complex in Taguig City.

“Not only do we desire to acknowledge the abilities of our promising entrepreneurs, we also yearn to steadily encourage them by providing them with additional capital,” Villar said.

“We expect that their feats in this nationwide search will serve to inspire our countrymen to follow their lead and take the path of entrepreneurship to spur our economy,” he said.

He expressed optimism that the list of the winners would grow each year, as the NP would make the search an annual endeavor.

Villar, who himself made it big as a businessman from being a fish vendor when he was young, said he was elated at the overwhelming response the project received in its first year. – Aurea Calica