A group composed of 15 managers from an Indonesian government-owned pawnshop completed a two-day study visit held from December 13-14 in Manila. The study visit oriented the group to the Philippine microfinance and pawnshop industries and to remittance services

A delegation comprising 27 rural bankers from 20 MABS PBs attended an international seminar on microfinance sponsored by the BRI held December 1-3 in Bali, Indonesia.

Since 1999, the MABS Program’s 187 Participating Bank units have disbursed a total of PhP5.2 billion (approximately US$100 million) totaling more than 468,000 microloans to more than 168,000 new microborrowers; PhP2 billion (approximately US$36 million) of this total was disbursed in the last twelve months alone. Over the last five years, the number of microdeposit accounts has increased by more than 218,000 with the total amount of microsavings increasing by more than PhP382 million. As of November 2004, MABS PBs loan portfolio balance totaled PhP502 million comprising more than 71,000 active borrowers.

Micro Enterprise Bank (MEB), a Mindanao-based Microfinance Thrift bank, will receive MABS Approach Training and Technical Services to support the bank’s planned expansion in the number of bank branches and loan collection and disbursement points (LCDPs). The bank currently has three branches and plans to open 33 additional branches and LCDPs over the next three years.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Andrew Natsios, with US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone and USAID/Philippines Mission Director Michael Yates, joined the celebration marking the first anniversary of the Rural Bank of Cotabato’s microfinance (MF) operations. The group was briefed on the bank’s MF program and its implementation of the MABS Approach. The visit to RB Cotabato, one of the MABS Program’s participating banks (PBs) servicing microenterprise clients in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and Conflict Affected Areas in Mindanao (CAAM), was part of Mr. Natsios island-wide series of visits to USAID’s Mindanao development projects.

RB Cotabato has been offering its MF loan product, the Puhunan Loan, since September 2003. As part of the anniversary celebration, RB Cotabato awarded plaques of appreciation to 20 outstanding microborrowers.

The RBAP and Globe Telecommunications signed a Memorandum of Understanding to pilot-test the collection of microcredit loan payments and the encashment of remittances utilizing Globe’s G-Cash short messaging service (SMS or text messaging) technology. G-Cash allows Globe subscribers to use their phone as a mobile wallet facilitating sending and receiving money person-to-person as well as domestic and international remittances. Globe has over 11 million mobile phone subscribers.

At a ceremony held November 18 at the Malacañang Presidential Palace, the Philippines joined other United Nations member nations in the worldwide launch of the International Year of Microcredit 2005. The yearlong celebration aims to increase awareness on the contributions of microfinance to poverty alleviation and to promote the development of sustainable and inclusive microfinance services. A multi-agency committee headed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas will outline next year’s activities and events. The Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) is chair of the subcommittee for capability building of microfinance institutions. Gen. William Hotchkiss - President of the Rural Bank of Cantilan, a MABS PB since 1999 - provided a presentation on his bank’s experience in microfinance and also stressed the importance of deposit mobilization in alleviating poverty.

Twenty-seven representatives from 15 MABS Service Provider (MSP)-trained banks completed hands-on training on the MABS Performance Monitoring System (MPMS) held November 18-20 in Manila. Participants had exercises on systems installation, data input, and reports generation. The MPMS, which automates reports at the branch-level, was rolled out to all MABS PBs last May.

As part of the continuing technical support to participating banks (PBs), MABS conducted two microfinance refresher courses in November. The Program regularly offers refresher courses to constantly update the MF knowledge base of PBs’ microfinance staff and to re-enforce microfinance best practices for new and existing staff.

With facilitation from the MABS technical team, three banks from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and Conflict Affected Areas in Mindanao (ARMM-CAAM) and one Visayas participating bank (PB) conducted their strategic and operational planning sessions. Thirteen top-level bank and microfinance unit officers from the Rural Bank of Cotabato, Rural Bank of Datu Paglas, and the Bagong Bangko Rural ng Malabang participated in the workshop held from November 8-10 in Davao City. The microfinance (MF) core group of the New Rural Bank of Victorias also held their planning session in November.

Fifty-two representatives from 26 rural banks using Rural Banker 2000 (RB2000) attended the 2nd RB2000 Users’ Conference held on November 9 in Manila. The conference included discussions on common users’ issues and solutions to frequently asked questions. Technical staff from the software’s rollout companies Automated Systems and Equipment Corporation (ASEC) and Integrated Systems and Equipment Corporation (ISSEC) provided recommended long-term solutions and briefed the users on their rollout policies and schedules.

Twenty-two participants from five MABS Participating Banks (PBs) completed the Micro-Agri Loan Product Development Training held from September 27 – 29 in Davao City. The five banks - GreenBank of Caraga, RB Cantilan, Kapatagan Valley Bank, Banco Santiago de Libon, and RB Tacurong – were selected to pilot MABS’ micro-agri loan program.

A roundtable meeting of MABS Service Provider (MSP) rollout banks was held September 28 at the World Trade Institute of the Ramon Magsaysay Center in Manila. Thirty-six participants from 20 MSP-trained rural banks attended the conference, which aimed to provide participants with the practical advice and tools necessary for their banks’ initial rollout and microfinance operations expansion.

MABS Service Provider Punla sa Tao Foundation conducted training on the Market Research Module for the MFU staff of Bangko Agricola from August 4-6. Punla consultants delivered classroom training on the Product Development Module to participants from RB Tangub on August 12-17.

The MABS Mindanao PBs Regional Roundtable Conference was held August 26 at the Grand Regal Hotel, Davao City, with 33 presidents, managers, and MFU officers from 17 PBs attending. The conference focused on enhancing bank performance through adopting a staff incentives scheme.

Thirty-four MFU supervisors from 18 Mindanao participating banks attended the Mindanao Microfinance Supervisors’ Forum held from August 24-25 in Davao City. The forum focused on tools and techniques for improving marketing, market research, and operations review.

Representatives from MABS’ five new Learning Centers (LCs) attended two training sessions on the standardized program for bank hosting conducted in August. Training participants were introduced to and oriented on the MABS-developed standardized LCs toolkit. The toolkit is a set of materials – hosting guides, templates, forms, and handouts – which are provided to LCs to help them conduct hosting and field activities systematically.

MABS Service Provider Associated Resources for Management and Development Inc. (ARMDEV) conducted training on the Market Research Module for its fourth rollout banks, consisting of four Luzon-based rural banks, on July 19-21 at the RBAP Building in Manila. As part of the module, the trainees had their hands-on practicum on market research at Bangko Mabuhay, a MABS fifth-rollout bank.

26 participants from 12 Visayas and Mindanao PBs attended a microfinance refresher course held from July 19 to July 23 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Participants from four banks in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao/Conflict Affected Areas in Mindanao (ARMM/CAAM) attended a savings mobilization workshop and a delinquency management and internal control workshop held in Davao City.