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Tingi culture, big impact: Stories from the streets

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ABS-CBN News

<div style="line-height:1"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/174833382722320250522100536_TNAP-PR-Photo-1.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p style="line-height:1;text-align:center">Sari-sari store owners from across the Philippines flocked to the World Trade Center in Pasay City just in time for the Tindahan ni Aling Puring (TNAP) Sari-Sari Store Convention 2025. <em>Photo source: Puregold</em></p><div style="line-height:1"> </div><p style="line-height:1">Just when you are about to take a bath in the morning, you suddenly realize that you are out of shampoo. Thankfully there is a sari-sari store near your home where you may buy almost any of your daily needs. Sari-sari stores are a concept unique to Filipinos, while other countries are just mostly used to mini marts, convenience stores, or flea markets, the Philippines has created its own version that caters to the community needs.</p><div style="line-height:1"> </div><p style="line-height:1">This is the reason why a lot of Filipinos grew up having memories of staying near your neighbor&#x27;s or your family&#x27;s own sari-sari store after work or meeting at a sari-sari store with your barkada – it is a more familiar, close-to-the-heart version of a convenience store that goes beyond just selling goods—it becomes a space where relationships are built, stories are shared, and the spirit of bayanihan quietly thrives.</p><div style="line-height:1"> </div><p style="line-height:1">Recognizing the role that sari-sari stores play in Filipino communities, companies like Puregold have stepped in to help uplift and empower these micro-entrepreneurs. Puregold Price Club Inc. continues to prove that growth and inclusivity are not mutually exclusive—but mutually reinforcing. Now, with over one million active members in its Tindahan ni Aling Puring (TNAP) program, Puregold has evolved from a traditional retailer into one of the Philippines&#x27; most effective grassroots economic enablers. </p><div style="line-height:1"> </div><p style="line-height:1">That transformation was on full display during the 2025 Tindahan Ni Aling Puring Sari-Sari Store Negosyo Convention, held May 15–17 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. Attended by close to 50,000 sari-sari store owners and micro-entrepreneurs, the event was not just a celebration of loyalty—it was a milestone in Puregold&#x27;s strategy to embed itself deep into the engine of the Philippine economy: the MSME sector. </p><div style="line-height:1"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/174833379820220250522100536_Vincent-Co.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p style="line-height:1;text-align:center">Ferdinand Vincent Co, President of Puregold. <em>Photo source: Puregold</em></p><div style="line-height:1"> </div><p style="line-height:1">&quot;Our business&#x27; impact is not measured not only by store count, but in lives changed,&quot; said Ferdinand Vincent Co, President of Puregold. &quot;When a sari-sari store thrives, a family moves forward, a community strengthens, and the economy grows from the ground up. By enabling our Ka-Asensos to succeed, we are paving the road to thriving communities.&quot; </p><div style="line-height:1"> </div><p style="line-height:1">What began 21 years ago as a store-based card initiative has become a nationwide platform for micro-entrepreneurship, bridging product access, education, community-building, and digital transformation. The 2025 convention&#x27;s theme, &quot;Piliin si Aling Puring, Kayang-Kaya Umansenso,&quot; has a proposition: that financial mobility, even national growth, may be built one store at a time.</p><div style="line-height:1"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/174833371556420250522100536_Puregold.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p style="line-height:1;text-align:center">Tindahan ni Aling Puring members also enjoyed additional perks and discounts that they may use to purchase at the TNAP Convention. <em>Photo source: Puregold</em></p><div style="line-height:1"> </div><p style="line-height:1">Puregold has built programs for its TNAP members that goes beyond discounts. Through programs like Mas Pinababang Presyo Araw-araw and Panalo sa Branded, members gain access to high-margin, high-demand products that help improve profitability at the shelf level. </p><div style="line-height:1"> </div><p style="line-height:1">Digitally, Puregold is also closing the tech gap. Tools like the Puregold Mobile App and P-Wallet bring ordering, payments, and inventory management online—empowering even the smallest sari-sari store to operate with the efficiency of a modern retailer and a community hub. </p><div style="line-height:1"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/174833366644420250522100536_Stage_New.jpg" style="width:958px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p style="line-height:1;text-align:center">Trade partners give their vote of confidence to Puregold as a key enabler of MSME growth at the opening ceremony of the Tindahan ni Aling Puring (TNAP) Convention 2025 at the World Trade Center. <em>Photo source: Puregold <br/></em></p><div style="line-height:1"><br/></div><p style="line-height:1">TNAP is a strategic growth engine. By mobilizing one million MSMEs as both customers and distributors, Puregold is tapping into a built-in salesforce that penetrates every corner of the country—an asset few competitors can match.</p><div style="line-height:1"> </div><p style="line-height:1">The 2025 convention also spotlighted strong collaboration with partner suppliers, who leveraged the event to engage directly with sari-sari store owners. For FMCG companies and suppliers, Puregold&#x27;s grassroots platform offers high-volume, high-trust engagement at scale. </p><div style="line-height:1"> </div><p style="line-height:1">In an economy battling inflation, MSMEs are essential to resilience. They represent 99.5% of all businesses in the Philippines and employ more than 60% of the workforce. Yet many still lack access to formal distribution, financing, or even technology. Puregold is filling that gap—and turning it into a long-term competitive advantage. </p><div style="line-height:1"> </div><p style="line-height:1">&quot;We have always believed that progress should be shared,&quot; Co emphasized. &quot;And when we say &#x27;Tuloy ang Asenso,&#x27; we mean it—for our members, our partners, and the country.&quot; </p><div style="line-height:1"> </div><p style="line-height:1">Not yet a member of Puregold&#x27;s Tindahan ni Aling Puring? Visit the Puregold store branch near you.</p><div style="line-height:1"><br/></div>

<p>What began as small family-run shops has grown into a nationwide network of empowered sari-sari store owners, thanks to grassroots initiatives focused on inclusive economic growth.</p>

What began as small family-run shops has grown into a nationwide network of empowered sari-sari store owners, thanks to grassroots initiatives focused on inclusive economic growth.

Tingi culture, big impact: Stories from the streets

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Tingi culture, big impact: Stories from the streets

Puregold

Published May 27, 2025 04:22 PM PHT

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