BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Leandro Portugal, Is the Area Manager (OIC) of CARD SME Bank INC.

Batangas, A Thrift Bank that supports CARD MRI’s mission of

empowering the poor by providing banking services especially designed

for landless rural workers. He has been with the company for 15 years

and have handled different positions and assigned to different

institutions. It was in December 2005 when he was initially hired as an

Account Officer responsible in organizing rural women. After a year and

a half, he was promoted to Unit Manager.

Leandro Portugal developed an early interest in business and social

development as he grew up in a rural area where he has to walk for hours

and cross a river to reach the main road. He noticed that the place and

the people has a lot of potential if someone would only take the lead. So

he decided to take a course related to business and social development.

In March 2005 he received a degree in Business Administration major in

Management with Entrepreneurship from Dalubhasaan ng Lungsod ng

San Pablo. It is in the same local College that his skills in leadership were

molded. He was elected to position in the different school organizations

like RED CROSS Youth and the Supreme Student Government of the

Dalubhasaan ng Lungsod ng San Pablo. He was also sent to attend

different Leadership Trainings in the Philippines.

When he was in high school, fortunately, he graduated just in time

before their mother left them. He stopped his studies for a while to help

his father work in the farm. He also helped his father play the role of a
mother and father to them. This experience helped him to understand the

value of money and gave him the ability to train himself to look on the

better side of life instead of focusing on problems. A value he generously

share to empower the lives of the people he touches.