Jay-R Patron speaks with TJ Agulto and Mark Ruiz, filipino social entrepreneurs and partners at Hapinoy

by jayr_patron | December 7, 2008 at 07:30 pm

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Mohammad Yunus paved the way for the destitute to pick up the pieces and build their lives through micro-entrepreneurship via micro-financing.

The system, which started three decades ago, proved well for the people of Bangladesh, and is now being employed in different parts of the world to help the poor start their own businesses.

In the Philippines, the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) leads the micro-financing sector in providing entrepreneurial opportunities to the disadvantaged. And the bridge is reinforced more heavily as the institution partners with Hapinoy, a social business enterprise composed of thousands of sari-sari stores (a neighborhood store, ubquitious in filipino communities, that sells varied of products--like a mini-grocery store).

This piece talks about the organization and how it aims to lift millions of Filipinos out of poverty through business, told through the eyes of two Hapinoy partners, TJ Agulto and Mark Ruiz.

TJ and Mark, an organizational change and consultancy coach, and innovation junkie, respectively, found their purpose in changing other people’s lives through social business entrepreneurship. And this was their answer to leading extraordinary lives.

Partners and colleagues at Hapinoy and Rags 2 Riches, TJ and Mark set out to achieve the level of change they foresee in the country as social entrepreneurs, from a life dictated by routine and the security of the academe and corporate world.

TJ stepped down from his fulfilling teaching position at Xavier School two years ago while Mark left a high-paying management position at Unilever, to ultimately follow their passion and effectuate empowerment to those that need it most."