A Profile of Success: Leticia Lourdes Camara and Children: Dr. Pia Teresa C. Chua, Dyan Mae C. Melgar and Atty. Mark Darwin Camara

Leticia Lourdes “Letty” Camara was once a poster girl of what values a true Landbanker should have—true grit, fortitude and a strong sense of duty. Those who had worked and interacted with her knew the story behind this.

Letty’s service with LBP spanned 36 years until her early retirement in March 2011. In August 2011, she joined our cooperative. Today, she continues to lend her expertise and knowledge to CBMPC where she is an active member serving in various capacities. Letty was first appointed as Treasurer in 2012 until 2021. She also served as a member of the CBMPC’s Executive Committee in 2021. Then, she was elected as one of the members of the Board in 2022 and got reelected in 2023.

When CBMPC opened its membership to qualified dependents and children of members, in August 2019, Letty brought in her 3 children: Dr. Pia, Dyan Mae and Atty. Mark. In 2021, her granddaughter, Alexandra Danielle C. Chua became a member also.

Letty first availed of a business loan in 2019 in the amount of P4 Million to invest in a Mang Inasal branch in Bacoor, Cavite. The loan has been fully paid for in 2022.

In the same year, Letty applied for another business loan which Dr. Pia used to invest in a franchise for a Subway fast food with Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City as its location. This store actually opened and started operation in February 2020, just few weeks before the March 2020 pandemic.

Dr. Pia, together with her co-investors/doctors in this business venture, has high hopes for its success as it is not only near three big schools, it is also because people are starting to go out now that the covid scare has started to die down. This early, she and her co-investors/doctors are now looking at another Subway franchise. Currently, Dr. Pia has a pending loan application with the coop for a business that is partly related to her and her co-investors’ passion.

Atty. Mark, a CPA-lawyer, availed of other business loans in 2021 and 2022 in various amounts which he used for the renovation of two-office spaces (with an area of 630 sq. m.) for his accounting and law offices at 2nd floor, Century Bldg., Ortigas, Pasig City.

Both siblings, although are still active practitioners in their respective professions (with Dr. Pia as previous Neurology Residency Training Officer of Quirino Memorial Medical Center and present Head of the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at the UERM Medical Center; and Atty. Mark as Partner in Camara Custodio & Co., CPAs and in Custodio Cruz Puno & Camara Law Offices) are really passionate entrepreneurs. What is the reason for his passion? As Dr. Pia, succinctly puts it, ‘’We should all have multiple income streams.” And this rang true when the pandemic happened. For nearly two years, many didn’t have work and therefore no income. And Dr. Pia cites what is written in the Scripture, Ecclesiastes 11:2 ”Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.” She explains that this is similar to the saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”.

Atty. Mark and Dr. Pia are grateful for the assistance the coop extends to them. Whenever they are in need of any loan assistance, the coop is there to help them. As Atty. Mark puts it, “The interest we pay for our loans return to us in a way by way of patronage refund. Effectively, the interest rates on our loans are decreased through the patronage refund we get.”

Both lend their expertise and knowledge to the coop in the way they know best. Atty. Mark sits as the Chairperson of the coop’s Audit Committee. Dr. Pia, as a medical doctor by profession is a health and wellness advocate, is credited for bringing to the consciousness of many coop members, the new non-invasive technology of the phototherapy patches from LifeWave. Specifically, the LifeWave X39 is the revolutionary patch that activates our stem cells and brings wellness, healing and pain relief to higher levels.

With their expertise, entrepreneurial spirit and passion, the coop is fortunate to have the Camara sibs in its midst. Chips off the old block, indeed.