Celebrating the role of technology and innovation in shaping sustainable economic growth, the 4th Digital Financial Inclusion Awards (DFIA) honoured Filipino microentrepreneurs and microfinance institutions (MFIs) who have engaged digital tools to grow their businesses and uplift their communities. This year’s honourees embody how financial inclusion can drive sustainable growth and create lasting opportunities for underserved Filipinos.
Jointly organized by the Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. (MCPI) and the Citi Foundation, with the support of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the DFIA continues to champion inclusive progress through digital transformation. The awarding ceremony gathered key leaders and partners in the finance sector, including BSP governor Eli M. Remolona, Jr., Citi Philippines CEO Paul Favila, and MCPI chairperson Eduardo C. Jimenez, who emphasized the importance of innovation in strengthening the microfinance ecosystem.
A total of seventeen (17) outstanding microentrepreneurs received ₱100,000 each in cash grants and brand-new laptops to help accelerate their digital journey. Representing diverse industries such as agriculture, food production, retail, and handicrafts, this year’s awardees are Josephia Azores, Roby Grace Bernabe, Mylene Bersabal, Carmelita Dapanas, RJ De Chavez, Ailyn Flormata, Raquel Lanaban, Gladys Maipid, Edna Maloon, Annalisa Monil, Lorlie Noblezada, Rosalie Orijola, Cecilia Oroc, Maricar Pagao, Danise Palmero, Niel Danica Polong, and Alan Romero.
At the institutional level, three (3) institutions were also recognized for their leadership in advancing digitalization. The awardees included GRF Hublag Microfinance Foundation, Inc., MASS-SPECC Cooperative Development Center, and Taytay Sa Kauswagan, Inc.
“Our awardees prove that the old narrative of digital tools being out of reach and too complicated no longer holds,” said BSP governor Remolona. “With simple yet innovative digital tools, such as online selling, QR payments, business systems, we are rewriting what’s possible for Filipino entrepreneurs.”
“The DFIA reinforces Citi Foundation’s mission to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities. We celebrate not only your business milestones but the lives you continue to uplift, as we all work together to build more sustainable, economically vibrant communities. Your entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to innovation inspire us all,” added Citi Philippines CEO Paul Favila.
Now in its fourth year, the DFIA continues to serve as a platform for recognizing Filipino ingenuity and the power of technology to open new doors of opportunity. The program amplifies awareness of how microfinance and digital innovation help create a more resilient, inclusive, and empowered nation.
The DFIA builds on the legacy of the Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards, allowing Citi Foundation and MCPI to further advance awareness of how microentrepreneurship and microfinance drive financial inclusion and empower low-income Filipinos toward sustainable growth.
