CHAIRMAN

2022

      We congratulate everyone as we were able to hurdle and surpass the immense and devastating challenges brought by Covid-19 pandemic. It tested and proven our bravery and resiliency to continue our mission amidst the dangerous Covid-19 in order to help the poor and carry out our missionary mandate towards poverty alleviation through microfinance and social services pursuant to social reform and poverty alleviation act and microfinance ngo act. We were indeed missionaries of hope to the struggling poor in the midst of challenging times as Covid-19 severely impacted on them.

      As threat of Covid-19 hugely decreases and the lives of the people are now back almost in normal fashion, we embrace and roll out now the opportunity to integrate other components of services such as community based health program, community based outreach program such as disaster response and balik eskuwela and community based entrepreneurship training program to integrate with community based microfinance services. Our aim is to develop and empower the struggling poor communities and effectively help them to fight against poverty through through diverse and integrated frontiers. Our belief is strong that poverty can be addressed effectively through integrated and multiple approaches with financial and social services as the core strategy as eloquently enunciated by Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act. With integrated approach, we remain consistent and faithful with the aspirations of our Bp. Warlito Cajandig, DD, (Bishop Emeritus of AVC), our co- founder in the establishment of SFI to attack the problem of poverty in its entirety and totality. This intense desire to carry out our mission with integrated strategy towards total human development is our life time commitment and mission. We will not drift away from our mission. It is our ironclad commitment to stay strong in our mission at the same time cognizant of our responsibility to remain sustainable and realible in mission.

      Inspired with Bp Cajandig to continue our mission in integrated paradigm, we now set our sight and direction to strengthen our services to the communities with strong partnership with Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Credit Policy Council of the Department of Agriculture (DA-ACPC). Our partnership with ACPC brought us new dimension and heights in our intervention to alleviate poverty in the agricultural and fishery communities of Or. Mindoro. Strategic partnership with ACPC is one of our important ingredients to meet the financial needs of the agricultural and fishery sector and other related sectors more affordable and accessible to address the poverty situation in the communities.

      Worth mentioning and not to be forgotten is the guidance and regulation of Microfinance NGO Regulatory Council (MNRC) which are very helpful to us to carry out the mission under the purview and mandate of Microfinance NGO ACT. The MNRC guidelines and regulations are immense assistance for us to be client-responsive with our programs and actions in the delivery of our services for the poor. The dignity of human person are always upheld and promoted through MNRC regulations which are aligned and rooted with our values drawn from the beautiful social teachings of the Catholic Church.

      Looking forward, we will embrace the proposal and recommendation of Microfinance Council of the Philippines (MCPI) to increase our resiliency through digitalization. It’s a big challenge for us since the nature and character of our relationship and connection with the people is not solely technological but largely personalized where physical presence serves as our platform of our relational existence with them. Nevertheless we are very committed and receptive to act on the new frontier of relationship through digitalization in poverty alleviation. We are hopeful and thrilled on this new undertaking.

      With great hope and determination in the pursuit and advancement of our mission, let me express my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to every member of SFI family. Your sacrifices and efforts to cooperate with me are worth deserving to be praised and acknowledged. It is a testament and proof that SFI is blessed with devoted and dedicated people marked with incredible spirit and enthusiasm to serve in mission.







In Solidarity with the Poor,



Fr. Jimson H. Ruga, Ph.D
Chairman of the Board