Our Team

DR. JAIME ARISTOTLE B. ALIP, PhD

Founder and Chairman Emeritus

Dr. Jaime Aristotle B. Alip is the Founder of the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI), the 2008 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Public Service. Dr. Alip is now the Chairman Emeritus of CARD NGO and continues to chair the board of the major institutions of CARD MRI (CARD Bank, CARD SME Bank, and CMDI). Started in 1986, CARD MRI is now a group of 23 mutually reinforcing institutions whose major focus is poverty eradication in the country. Dr. Alip served in various key positions in the Philippine Government: Undersecretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (2002-2003); Assistant Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform (1996-1998); and Deputy Executive Director of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (1988-1992). As an educator, he served as the dean of CMDI Tagum campus from 2017 to 2021. He is also an Eminent Fellow of the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), since 2012 and an Adjunct Professor of CPAF, University of the Philippines in Los Baños (2011-2019). He served in the board of Southeast Asia Interdisciplinary Development Institute (SAIDI), Philippines from 2008 -2014. He served as an adjunct faculty of the Southern New Hampshire University in USA from 2008-2010. Moreover, he was also a Special Fellow of Nihon Fukushi University, Nagoya, Japan. He has been recently appointed as a visiting scholar/fellow of Univeristy of New Hampshire from April 2017 to 2018. Dr. Alip is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School, having completed the 3-year Owner/President Management (OPM) Program in 2007 and was given the Excellence Award on Strategy. He obtained his doctorate degree in Organization Development from the Southeast Asia Interdisciplinary Development Institute (SAIDI), Manila, Philippines in 2002. He received his bachelor and master’s degrees in agricultural economics/marketing from the University of the Philippines at Los Baños in 1978 and 1983, respectively. He also attended the Executive Program in Global Management at the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, U. S. A. in 1999.

MS. LORENZA DT. BAÑEZ

Chairperson

Ms. Bañez, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), is one of the incorporators and a member of the Board of Trustees of CARD, Inc. She also sits as a director/trustee of CARD Bank, Inc. Being one of the incorporators of CARD Inc. she was part of the pioneering work force in the implementation of development programs during which she spearheaded the establishment and installation of the over-all financial management system towards institutional efficiency and evolving into CARD MRI. She greatly contributed in the transformation of microfinance operation into a formal banking system by developing financial management system compliant to banking regulations. Too, she coordinated the development and designing of the bank’s management information system.

She was a Board Member of the Grace and Truth School in San Pablo City from 1993-1996 and was the Program Manager of the Christian Children Fund Federation of Core Group based in the same city way back in 1989. Her initial years of professional services has earned valuable experiences as the Programs Accountant of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) where she worked for the period January 1980 until June 1988. She has served as microfinance consultant for TYM, VBCP and CIDSE in Vietnam and Rural Bank of Sto. Tomas (RBST) in the Philippines.

She is a Bachelor’s Degreeholder in Commerce and has earned units in MS in Development Management at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños and a graduate of the short course on Program for Development Managers at the Asian Institute of Management. She finished Master in International Community Economic Development at the New Hampshire University in Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S.A.

MR. ARISTEO A. DEQUITO

President

Mr. Dequito is the President of CARD, Inc. with concurrent position as the Managing Director of the CARD group. He also sits as the Chairman of Rizal Bank, Inc. and CARD Business Development Services Foundation, Inc. (CARD BDSFI) and a director of Microventures, Inc. Mr. Dequito was the first staff of CARD, Inc. in 1988 as administrative clerk. Herose thru the ranks where he got involved in the banking operations and business development services of CARD. He headed CARD BDSFI when it started in 2005 until he was transferred to CARD SME Bank, Inc. in 2016 as President/CEO until April 30, 2021.

He obtained his degree in Business Administration major in Accounting from San Pablo Colleges and earned his master’s degree in Entrepreneurship from Asian Institute of Management. He also completed the Advance Management Program in Harvard Business School. Mr. Dequito was awarded Outstanding San Pableños in 2019 for Banking (Microfinance and SME Banking).

MS. MARIA ELENA M. RUIZ

Corporate Treasurer

Ms. Ruiz is a member of the Board of Trustees and the Treasurer of CARD, Inc. She also sits as a Board of Directors of CARD SME Bank from 2011 to 2021 and now served as its Board Adviser and Chairman of CARD SME Bank Savings and Remittance Committee.

Armed with double degrees of Bachelor of Arts major in English and Bachelor of Science major in Accounting, Marilen Medina-Ruiz joined The Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd. (HSBC) right after graduation from College of the Holy Spirit, Manila. This led to a 37-year career with one of the largest financial institutions in the world. At HSBC, she occupied various executive positions covering Branch Operations, Corporate Banking, Personal Banking, Sales and Business Development, Trust Marketing, Training and Marketing. Her field of specialization focused on Sales, Business Development, and Personal Financial Services.

MR. BENJAMIN C. LUCAS, JR.

Corporate Auditor

Mr. Lucas is a member of the Board of Trustees of CARD, Inc. He is also the current Treasurer and Corporate Secretary of Bwena Lending and Credit Corporation since 2019. He previously servedas Executive Vice President – RFC 2 at Radiowealth Finance Company from 2015 to 2016 but first 3 joined as AVP MIS & Treasury in 1994 until 1996. He became AVP MIS & Corporate Planning at the same company in 1996 up to 1999; VP–MIS, Treasury, Corporate Planning & Corporate Lending (1999 to 2007), and Executive Vice President and General Manager (2007 to 2014). He also joined National Shipping Corp. of the Phils., Phil. Microprocessor Systems, Inc., Jonah Fishing Enterprises during the early years of his career and honed his expertise

Mr. Lucas is an alumnus of Ateneo de Manila University where he was an academic scholar and obtained a degree in Physics. He completed the Executive MBA Program in Asian Institute of Management.

MS. MARILYN M. MANILA

Corporate Secretary

Ms. Manila is the current Corporate Secretary of CARD, Inc. and a member of its Board of Trustees. Concurrently, she is the Chairperson and President of CARD MRI Hijos Tours Inc. and CARD MRI Publishing House Inc. and the Chairperson of Mga Likha Ni Inay. She joined CARD group in 2000 as the Executive Assistant to the Managing Director until 2002. She then managed the Resource Mobilization unit of CARD in 2002 up to 2005 and eventually became its director from 2005 to 2009. When CARD started several partnership offices in Southeast Asia, Ms. Manila was assigned to take the lead of CARD International Group as its director from 2009 to 2013. She spearheaded CARD’s Community Development Group and became its director from 2012 to 2017. She was also the Director for Academic and Curriculum Standards of CMDI from 2018 to 2019. She served as director of other CARD institutions including CARD Hong Kong Foundation (2011 to 2016), BotiCARD, Inc. (as Chairman, 2015 to 2017), CAMIA (2015 to 2017), and CARD Myanmar Company Ltd. (2013 to 2017).

She earned her BS Development Communication Major in Educational Communication from University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) and obtained her Masters in Entrepreneurship, major in Social Development from Asian Institute of Management.

DR. DOLORES M. TORRES, PhD

Trustee

Dr. Torres is the Chairperson of CARD, Inc. and concurrently the Senior Management Adviser/Vice-Chairperson of CARD Bank, Inc. As one of the founding board members of CARD, Inc., she became its Program Manager in 1988 and subsequently its Executive Director from 1989 up to April 2001 when she has to take the leadership of CARD Bank, Inc. as its President and CEO. Before joining CARD, Inc., Dr. Torres was the Training Manager of Philippines Business for Social Progress from 1981 to 1988. She sits as Vice-Chairperson in Rizal Bank, Inc. and CARD-MRI Development Institute, Inc. (CMD), board adviser to several other institutions of CARD MRI. Dr. Torres, with her experience in community development, banking operations and microfinance, served as Consultant to TYM, SIDA, and CIDSE in Vietnam.

Dr. Torres obtained her Master in Community Development from the University of the Philippines 2 at Los Baños. She completed Key Executive Management Course at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in Makati City, and obtained her doctorate degree in Organizational Development from the Southeast Asia Interdisciplinary Development Institute (SAIDI), Manila. She has participated in various microfinance training program that includes MFT Course in Boulder Colorado and Executive Program in Global Management at the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

MS. MA. LUISA P. CADAING

Trustee

Ms. Louie Cadaing is one of CARD, Inc.’s Board of Trustees and currently sits in the board of CARD Bank. She is a development management practitionerand focuses on capacity building and institutional strengthening; project development and management; and, microfinance and enterprise development. She has extensive experience working with multi-lateral, bilateral, nongovernment (local and international) organizations, and church based/church related organizations such as the Tearfund, World Vision, Opportunity International.

An honor student in elementary and secondary school, Ms. Cadaing is a BS Human Ecology major in Settlements Planning graduate of the University of the Philippines at Los Baños. She holds a Masteral Degree in Urban and Regional Planning also from U.P. and has undertaken further studies in Program for Women Managers at the Asian Institute of Management.

ATTY. ARNEL PACIANO D. CASANOVA

Trustee

Atty. Casanova sits as one of the Board of Trustees of CARD, Inc. He also serves as Country Representative of AECOM Philippines since 2017. He also holds a faculty seat as visiting lecturer in Ateneo de Manila School of Government. He is the Vice-Chairman of Clark Development Corporation since 2011. Atty. Casanova’s skills and know-how exceeds several fields of discipline. He has played key leadership roles in public-private partnership, infrastructure and real estate such as development of former US military bases and the Bonifacio Global City; corporate governance particularly the implementation of reforms in government corporations; peacemaking, negotiation, security and conflict resolution among different rebel groups in the country; and teacher and guide in social entrepreneurship. Atty. Casanova earned his undergraduate degree, BA in English in UP Diliman. He earned a diploma on Urban and Regional Planning from UP School of Urban and Regional Planning. He finishedLaw 5 in the University of the Philippines. Atty. Casanova received his Certificate on Negotiations of Financial Transactions from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research in Geneva, Switzerland and earned his Master in Public Administration (Finance and Leadership) from the Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government. He also earned his Fellowship from the Edward S. Mason Program in Public Policy and Management.

He served as the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) from 2003 until 2009 and became the President/CEO and Vice Chairman of the Board from 2011 to 2016. From 1998 until 2003, Atty. Casanova also served as the Head Executive Assistant (Chief of Staff) of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA). He was the Executive Director of Asia Society Philippines Foundation, Inc from 2009 to 2011. He is also the Founding Director and Philippines Country Manager of the Avant change, Ltd., a corporation that advocates and promotes social entrepreneurship in Asia. Avant change is rooted in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA and pushed through by Harvard Alumni, Asian universities and funders. He also served as Corporate Secretary to three corporations: the Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation, BCDA Management and Holdings, Inc. and Bataan Technology Park, Inc. In 1993 until 1997 he became the Chief of the Technical Working Group of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process. He also sits as vice-chairman/chairman/board member of several government institutions including Clark Development Corporation, John Hay Management Corporation, BCDA Management Holdings, Inc., and Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation, Bonifacio Global City Estate Corporation, Subic Clark Alliance for Development, and Solar Energy Foundation. He is a member of the Philippine Army Multisectoral Advisory Board and the Steering Committee Chairman of Philippine Investment Promotion Plan.

MS. FLORDELIZA L. SARMIENTO

Trustee

Ms. Sarmiento is one of the incorporators of the institution and one of the current Board of Trustees. She assumed several roles starting from being a Technical Officer (1988-1989), a Branch Manager (1990-1993), an Associate Director (1994-1995), HR/Training Director of the former CARD Training Center for eight years (1995-2003), Executive Director (2002-2013), President/Executive Director (2016), Deputy Managing Director (2016-2017), and the Managing Director(2017-2021). ShealsoservedasRizalBank,Inc.’sPresident/CEOfrom2011to2013and Chairman from 2013 to 2021. A practitioner in rural credit planning, Ms. Sarmiento has organized and trained small farmers in Laguna under the Integrated Rural Financing Program of CARD, Inc. from 1988 to early 2000. From then on, she has continuous participation in various trainings/exposures for professional development conducted locally and abroad. Most of the trainings/programs that she attended enhanced her expertise in the implementation and management of microfinance operations, which she also shared being a resource person (as well as through internship program and invitation) with other GB replicators, NGOs and MFIs interested in replicating CARD’s microfinancemodel..

Ms. Sarmiento graduated with a degree in Agriculture major in Agronomy at the Araneta University and finished Master in Business Administration at Trinity College. She further enhanced her skills through participation in an Appreciative Program/ Executive Program in Global Management at the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA and finished Executive MBA from the Asian Institute of Management (AIM). She also completed Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School of Boston.

MS. ELMA B. VALENZUELA

Trustee

Having first served as Technical Officer in 1988, Ms. Valenzuela rose thru the ranks and now one of the Board of Trustees of CARD, Inc. and also the President/CEO of Rizal Bank, Inc. She was the institution’s Associate Director from 2001 to 2013 and became its Executive Director from 2013 to 2016 before she was transferred to Rizal Bank, Inc. as President/CEO. She also sits as director in CARD SME Bank, Inc., serve as assistant corporate secretary in CMDI, board adviser in CLFC/BDFSI/CMIT/CAMIA, among others.

Besides actual experiences in microfinance implementations, Ms. Valenzuela also gained her trained on Grameen Banking methodology and Rural Banking both locally and abroad. Most of her exposures were in the neighboring countries replicating the GB model such as Bangladesh (ASA, SAFESAVE) and Malaysia. Ms. Valenzuela had her Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture at Araneta University. Posing for professional development, Ms. Valenzuela obtained Masters in Business Administration at Trinity College and finished her Executive MBA studies at the Asian Institute of Management. She finished Advanced Management Program in Harvard Business School.

MS. JOCELYN D. DEQUITO

Trustee

Ms. Dequito started working as Secretary/Cashier of CARD, Inc. in May 1990. Three years after, she was assigned as Accounting Officer way up to being the Finance Manager in 1996. She headed CARD, Inc.’s finance department from 2001 until 2013 when she was promoted to be Deputy Executive Director from 2013 to 2016 and assumed the Executive Director position in November 2016 up to 2021. She is now one of the trustees of the institution with concurrent position as CEO of CARD MBA, the microinsurance arm of CARD MRI.

Her attendance in professional development trainings started in 1991; mostly focused on financial management and analysis. Ms. Dequito obtained her Master of Science in Community Economic Development in Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, U.S.A.; Master in Business Administration at Trinity College, Manila and her Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce 7 Major in Accounting at Laguna College, San Pablo City. She also completed Advanced Risk Management program in Wharton University, USA.

MS ANICETA R. ALIP

Trustee

Ms. Alip was the Research Director of the CARD MRI (Center for Agriculture and Rural Development) and now the Research Adviser. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of CARD, Inc. Through her efforts, the use of the SEEP/AIMS Exit and Client Satisfaction Surveys are now institutionalized at CARD MRI. She was trained on MicroSave qualitative tools in Uganda in January 2001, and since then has acted as resource person in 5 runs of the Market Research for Microfinance (MR4MF) Training of Trainers course in the Philippines. The confidence in using the SEEP/AIMS tools, complemented by the MicroSave-Africa-developed PRA techniques, enabled her team to train other MFIs in their use, and in translating the findings to refine existing/introduce new products and services in the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. Her vision is to build competency among CARD field staff in gathering information from clients and translating what they heard into product concepts and improved services. She obtained her degree of Agriculture and some units in Communication Arts at University of the Philippines Los Baños. She obtained Master of Science in International Community Economic Development degree at Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S.A.

MS. CARMELITA C. DAPANAS

Trustee-Client

Ms. Dapanas is a member of the Board of Trustees of CARD, Inc. representing clients from Mindanao. She has been a member/client of CARD Inc. for almost 8 years. She is a Citi Micro Entrepreneurship Special Awardee and won the Gawad Malikhain Award last December 2016. Together with her family, she is engaged in farming business with almost 30 hectares farm planted with different crops like Bell Pepper, Salad Tomato, Cacao Plantation and others. She worked as Community Facilitator from DILG, Camiguin province. She also worked as clerk in Northern Mindanao Medical Center and as Service staff in Brunei Darussaalm. She graduated of BS in Commerce major in accounting. The award she received from CMA inspired the people from her community.

MS. ANA LIZA M. PACOLOR

Trustee-Client

Ms. Pacoloris a CARD, Inc. Board of Trustees member representing clients from Luzon. She has been a member/client of CARD, Inc. (A Microfinance NGO) since 2007. She helps in promoting products and services of the CARD, Inc. being a center chief since 2010 and was recognized as 8 FINAL 1.21.22 Best Center Chief, Best Expansion Center and was given the opportunity to join the Lakbay Aral Clients. Mrs. Pacolor and her husband manage their 15-year Peanut Dealer Business engage to both whole sale and retailing. They provided employment to 4 regular employees and 4 on the job individuals, thus giving other individuals business opportunity thru peanut products retailing. She is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Commerce Major in Banking and Finance and formerly worked as Special Private Nurse from 1982 – 1986.

MS. HAYDEE G. EULIN

Trustee-Client

Ms. Eulin has been a member/client of CARD, Inc. (A Microfinance NGO) since 2007. She has been a CARD MBA, Inc. Board of Trustee for Calendar Year 2014-2015, an active center officer started as Secretary, Treasurer, and Center Chief and now currently serves as Micro Insurance Supervisor (MIS) of CaMIA in Samar.Ms. Eulin and her husband manage their 17-year Motor Spare Parts Shop and they are also engaged in Buy & Sell Business. Their business provided employment in their community. She finished BS – Industrial Technology in Balicuatro National Vocational School..