First Macro Bank (FMB), a MABS third rollout bank, has been selected to pilot a credit-scoring tool and software being developed by a research team from Innovations for Poverty Action and Microfinance Risk Management.

Twenty-one participants from 12 MABS Service Provider (MSP) rollout banks completed training on the MABS Performance Monitoring System (MPMS). The training, held from January 28 to 29 at the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, provided hands-on exercises on installation, data encoding, and reports generation. The MPMS was rolled-out to all Participating Banks (PBs) in May 2004. Since then, MABS has conducted four MPMS training courses to ensure that all PBs understand how to utilize the system. Because the MPMS automates reports generation at the branch level, it allows the banks’ management and MABS to effectively monitor the expansion and profitability of both the microfinance loan product and microfinance unit operations.