Microfinance: Meet Maria Cecilia Bacale Reyes

Maria Cecilia Bacale Reyes has been running a small sari-sari (retail) store from her home in Pagsanjan, Laguna, for more than 25 years. Her husband drives a taxi for a living, and together they support their two grown children, who still live with them.

When she first got married, Cecilia wanted to stay home to care for her family, so opening a home-based business made perfect sense. Over the years, her store became a key source of income, but she always looked for ways to expand. To grow her business, she joined Grameen Pilipinas Microfinance Inc. (GPMI) and accessed her first microloan of PHP 7,000 (AU$182), which helped her increase her inventory. After successfully repaying that loan, she received another PHP 10,000 (AU$261), which she used to add short-order snacks and mobile loading services to her product range.

When the pandemic struck, Cecilia was deeply grateful for GPMI’s continued support, especially when other lenders pulled back. Now in her seventh loan cycle, Cecilia continues to build her business and maintain savings through GPMI’s programs. Even though her children now have jobs of their own, the extra income from her store helps sustain the family’s daily needs. Looking ahead, she hopes that as her children become financially independent, she and her husband can finally invest in a home of their own.