Twelve individuals from ten rural banks were recognized as MABS Technical Resource Specialists (MABSTeRS) during the 5th Mindanao Roundtable Meeting of RBAP-MABS Participating Banks at the Grand Regal Hotel in Davao City. The MABSTeRS, selected managers and microfinance supervisors from participating banks, were trained to serve as resource speakers for refresher courses and workshops.

Three (3) delegates from Bank Indonesia (the Central Bank of Indonesia), with the assistance of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), undertook a comparative study tour of Philippine rural financial institutions engaged in microfinance. Through presentations prepared by the Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (MABS) Program, the group was given a brief on Philippine rural banks' microfinance best practices in micro credit and savings mobilization.

US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Joseph Mussomeli was briefed on the microfinance operations of the Rural Bank of Dulag during his October 20 visit to Leyte to commemorate Gen. Douglas McArthur’s landing. RB Dulag, a Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (MABS) Program participant bank since 2001, serves microenterprise clients in Tacloban City and the towns of Dulag and Abuyog.

A study group composed of 11 representatives from the largest Bolivian commercial microfinance institutions and government agencies visited the Bank of Florida (BOF) and three other Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (MABS) Program participant banks as part of the Microfinance Exchange Program between the Philippines and Bolivia. The group came to learn about the Philippines experience and microfinance best practices in savings mobilization from rural banks and other financial institutions.

The cumulative amount of microenterprise loans disbursed by MABS participating banks since 1999 reached the 3-billion peso mark (approximately US $60 million) in November 2003.

Cotabato City – The Rural Bank of Cotabato (RBC) signed an agreement to participate in the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-supported Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines - Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (RBAP-MABS) Program.

Manila - During November of 2003, the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (MABS) Program offered the RBAP-MABS Microfinance Seminar for Senior Managers. More than 450 presidents and senior managers from 245 rural banks across the Philippines attended the seminars.

(Manila) At a ceremony held on September 5, 2003, the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) formally certified several local organizations as being fully qualified and capable of assisting rural banks throughout the Philippines to install and use “the MABS Approach to Microfinance”.

2nd Basic Course for Microfinance Trainers
Twenty-four prospective microfinance trainers from 12 Mindanao participating banks completed the 2nd Basic Course for Microfinance Trainers last April 2-5, 2003 in Toril, Davao City.

During trainers’ courses, MABS technical specialists provide the materials and basic course used by MABS to train account officers. Participants will, in turn, organize and conduct the same basic course to new account officers in their own bank.

For the 2nd trainers’ course, MABS’ technical staff conducted sessions on microfinance best practices, microloan products, zero tolerance toward delinquency, credit and background investigation, cashflow analysis, market research and internal control procedures.