Winners of the Villar SIPAG Awards

It was on December 13, 2012 when the Villar Foundation finally opens SIPAG Center to the public. It was also on that same year that the foundation was celebrating its 20th anniversary of providing livelihood programs to many Filipino families. Villar Foundation's advocacy includes promoting livelihood projects such as weaving baskets using water hyacinth, solid waste management to saving a river (Las Pinas-Zapote river) skill-up training, medical assistance and scholarship.

A year after the SIPAG Center was inaugurated, The Villar SIPAG Awards for Poverty Reduction. was launched. It's a nationwide search to recognize the excellent achievements of community enterprises that gave impact to local economic development and betterment of Filipino lives.

With poverty, as one of the nation's leading problems, the Villar SIPAG Awards aim to recognize good practices or innovations of community enterprises, which produces more jobs thus increase household income. It also aims to honor communities who serve as a good example in promoting practices in income poverty reduction.

Entries from all over the country were accepted until August 30, 2013. The awarding happened December last year, with Senator Cynthia Villar and Villar SIPAG founding chairman, former Senate President Manny Villar gracing the awarding ceremony.

The criteria for selecting the winners for each other category includes effectiveness, significance, financial viability, sustainability and adaptability.

Senator Cynthia Villar said during the ceremony,

“Goodness is its own reward. The virtues of hard work and persistence are its own rewards.” She urged the winners to continue to persevere and improve their lives and those of the people around them.

Here are the winners of the 2013 Villar SIPAG Awards for Poverty Reduction. 

10 Most Promising Community Enterprises 

10 Most Outstanding Community Enterprises

Each of the winner in the Most Outstanding Community Enterprises received a cash reward of P250,000 while P100,000 cash to each of the winner in the Most Promising Community Enterprises.

For 20 years, the Villar Foundation has provided livelihood-generation and skills training initiatives to alleviate poverty. Today, it has provided 300 community enterprises all over the country, income to over 500 families and other parts of the country, where it has established more than 50 pilot projects. 

Senator Cynthia Villar, also known as "Misis Hanepbuhay" established green social enterprises on water hyacinth weaving, coconet weaving, organic fertilizer making, charcoal making, citronella oil making, handmade paper making, and waste plastics recycling. With husband, former Senate President Manny, their family values the virtues of hard word (sipag) and perseverance (tiyaga). 

I personally believe that if we apply these virtues in our lives, no one will be poor, children will be send to school and later on will find a job fit to their education and capabilities. Success starts in small steps, in small business. Let's do our part in supporting such advocacy and recognize the greatness of every Filipino citizen. 

Visit the Villar Foundation on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/VillarFoundation
The Villar SIPAG on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/VillarSIPAG