Today, November 15, the Small Enterprises Research and Development Foundation (SERDEF) and its partner government organization, the UP Institute for Small-Scale Industries (UP ISSI) commemorate PV-day or Paterno Viloria Day.
Last November 12, Dr. Paterno Viloria, President of SERDEF, turned 90.
Dr. Viloria joined the ISSI in 1968 and eventually became its third director. It was during his incumbency as director that the SERDEF was conceived as a private-sector response to the challenge of small enterprise growth. He and the late Dr. Leon V. Chico, another past director of the UP ISSI, are widely recognized as the “fathers” of SERDEF.
After his tenure at UP ISSI, Dr. Viloria joined the World Bank as International Expert on Small Business Development. The stin took him to consultancy engagements in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Nepal.
Later, he became founding chair and chief executive officer of the Small Business Guarantee and Finance Corporation (SBGFC), now the Small Business Corporation (SB Corporation) which extended financial and non-financial services to small and medium enterprises.
Today he is President of the SERDEF and of the PEFTOK Veterans Association.
PV Day will be celebrated not only by officers and staff of the UP ISSI and SERDEF but also by former employees of both institutions.
Expected are tributes and toasts to the birthday celebrator from those whose lives he touched.