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| Maria Korina "MK" Bertulfo (left), founder and chief executive officer of Filipina Home-Based Moms or FHMoms (Image Source: AsianParent Philippines) |
"Changing one mother's life is changing a whole family's life." This is the living mantra of Maria Korina "MK" Bertulfo, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Filipina Home-Based Moms or FHMoms, the first and biggest freelancing group for Filipino mothers with over 350,000 members nationwide. The Lipeña-based CEO started the group in 2017 after landing an online job that enables her to balance work and family life. It was a rewarding experience for her that she decided to help her fellow mom-friends get the same opportunity.
“I thought of making a support group, to find moms who have also faced the same challenges as I did, and those who were able to make it. This is to have someone to talk to [who are] in the same situation," MK said. "I value the kind of relationship that I get from these mommies virtually. This has become a support system for each member and that inspires me to continue to grow this community,” she added. From a support group, FHMoms grew to become a go-to e-Learning, e-Commerce and job-matching platform for Filipino mothers who want to thrive in their career as either an entrepreneur, a freelancer or both. Her reward is seeing FHMoms able to provide for their families and take care of them at the same time.
“Oftentimes, when women settle down or have their children, they are trapped with choices in life, and either choice, society has something to say about it. We want these women to realize that they have more options now in growing their careers and themselves, even if they are staying at home, taking care of their family full time. Changing one mom's life, is changing her whole family's life,” explained MK. In the midst of the global health crisis where moms are turning to online opportunities, MK and her FHMoms team are now looking at helping underprivileged, stay-at-home mothers aged 18-30 years old residing in Metro Manila and immediate surrounding areas. With the help of YouthLed (Youth Leadership For Democracy), she is working on providing these moms with opportunities through training and internship programs with industry and government agency partnerships.
MK is one of the 30 YouthLed Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) fellows of The Asia Foundation in partnership with the United States Agency For International Development (USAID). YouthLed provides MK and other fellows access to grant support for their respective advocacies. They are also given training programs with prestigious institutions including the Asian Institute of Management's Future Bridging Leadership Program, Ateneo School of Government's Executive Education Courses, and Ayala Foundation Inc. (AFI)'s Servant Leadership Program. Selected YouthLed Young Leaders will also undergo mentorship activities with the Makati Business Club and the Philippine Business for Social Progress.
