CARD SME Bank management acknowledged the panelists of the Negosyo Talk Series during the celebration of the bank’s 12th anniversary. In the photo were (left to right): CARD SME Bank Executive Vice President Julius Adrian Alip; CARD SME Bank Vice Chairperson for External Affairs Mary Jane Perreras; CARD SME Bank President and CEO Cynthia Baldeo; Topyugo Digital Inc.
President and CEO Jhopet Fines; Philippine Marketing Association President Sy
Bryan Lato; Psychologist Kristianni Bance; Association of Filipino Franchisers
Inc. President Goerge Noel Wieneke; and SME Development Program Division
Chief Edwin Pasahol.
CARD SME
Bank, Inc. (A Thrift Bank),
a member of CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI), marks
its anniversary with the
theme “Celebrating 12
years of Partnering with
MSMEs: Trust, Dedication, and Growth” on July
25, 2023. The celebration
took place in Maharlika
Square, Maharlika Highway, San Pablo City, Laguna.
Reflecting on
the bank’s journey, CARD
SME Bank Vice Chairperson for External Affairs Mary Jane Perreras
said, “Being the inaugural president and CEO of
CARD SME Bank, I recall
all the challenges we encountered. The paradigm
shift was intense, yet we
persevered because we
recognized the needs of
MSMEs and wanted to
facilitate their business
growth.” According to Ms.
Perreras, the bank aspires
to serve more MSMEs in
the future.
A key segment
of the celebration was the
Negosyo Talk, designed
to equip the bank’s clients with knowledge that
would enable them to
make improved business
decisions. The talk emphasized the significance
of digitalization and adaptability. The talk also tackles how to maximize the
client’s potential as a business owner.
Mr. Edwin Pasahol (Chief of the Department of Trade and Industry
(DTI) – Bureau of SME Development Program Development Division), Mr.
Sy Bryan Lato (Philippine
Marketing Association
President), Mr. George
Noel Wieneke (Association of Filipino Franchisers, Inc. President), and
Mr. Jhopet Fines (Topyugo
Digital Inc. President and
CEO) were the panelists
during the program.
Another guest
speaker, psychologist
Kristianni Bance, highlighted the importance of
mental health, especially
for business owners, underscoring the need for
work-life integration.
The event also
recognized and awarded the exemplary entrepreneurs of CARD SME
Bank. The Outstanding
Agri-Entrepreneur award
was given to Romeo V.
Bustamante, while Julito A. de Torres Jr. was
awarded the Laking CARD
SME Bank Award. The Tiwala CARD SME Bank
Award was presented to
Rizalina P. Tolentino. Each
winner received a plaque,
tokens of appreciation,
and a cash prize of PHP
5,000.00.
“We appreciate
everyone who is with us
as we begin another year
in service. We will make all
possible efforts to fulfill our
goal of helping MSMEs
and generate more employment in the country.
This is our way of contributing to CARD MRI’s overall mission of eradicating
poverty,” CARD SME
Bank President and CEO
Cynthia Baldeo stated.
Several executive committee members
and senior advisers of
CARD MRI also graced
the event, along with staff
and clients from the CARD
SME Bank, CARD, Inc.
(A Microfinance NGO),
CARD Bank, and CARD
MRI Rizal Bank.
CARD SME Bank is committed to supporting MSMEs in the country by
providing them access to
banking facilities, products, and services that foster business growth. As of
June 2023, the bank has
served a total of 1,222,666
clients across the country.
