With me at the aster farm are Ma'am Mely of MABS, Ms. Cecile of RB Mabitac, and the aster farmers.
Visiting RB Mabitac and the asters: The rewards of agricultural microfinance
March 25, 2009 By 2 Comments
“Rural Bankers: Prepared to Face the Challenge of the Global Crisis” – 2009 Mindanao Rural Bankers’ Conference
March 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment
MABS Chief of Party, John Owens, affirmed that rural bankers are ready to face global economic challenges through microfinance in the 29th Annual Mindanao Rural Bankers Conference. The conference, held in Davao City on March 19 and 20, focused on the global financial crisis and its potential effects on Mindanao and its rural banks. Overall the presenters manifested optimism on the global crisis’ potential impact on the country, noting that the Philippine economy actually grew by 4% in the last quarter of 2008. They also shared the projections for 2009, which were especially positive for agricultural sector. [Read more...]
Mobile Phone Banking practitioners hold conference in Davao City
March 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Twenty-six (26) rural bankers from twelve Mindanao-based rural banks offering mobile phone banking services (MPBS) held a conference on March 18 to discuss various issues on mobile banking services. The participants conferred on vital factors and challenges in the expansion and implementation of mobile phone banking, as well as how these challenges were addressed. Representatives from G-Xchange (GXI), MABS’ partner in providing mobile banking service technologies to rural banks, also joined the conference. They were headed by Ms. Rizza Maniego-Eala, who provided GCASH service updates and answered participants’ queries. [Read more...]
MABS holds Mobile Phone Banking Services (MPBS) accreditation training
March 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment
To accredit more MPBS partner rural banks, MABS and G-Xchange (GXI) held another training-workshop on MPBS, this time, for Mindanao-based rural banks. Twenty-three (23) rural bankers from sixteen (16) rural banks attended the workshop held on March 18 in Davao City. It served as a venue to educate these bankers on the uses, benefits, implementation procedures, technical aspects, expansion issues and other concerns on mobile banking and GCASH services. Since the start of the year, ninety (90) rural bankers from fifty-four (54) rural banks have attended the series of five accreditation workshops that have been held across the Philippines. [Read more...]
Learning from a Microfinance Unit Manager
March 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Profiling a Microfinance Unit Manager: Eddie Revilla
by: Meliza Agabin, MABS Deputy Chief of Party
Our visit with the Rural Bank of Mabitac (RB Mabitac) last February 18, 2009 gave us a chance to have an up-close and lengthy interview with Eddie Revilla while waiting for our sumptuous lunch at a popular eating place in Bay, Laguna. Ed is the present manager for RB Mabitac’s microfinance operations.
Eddie Revilla, Microfinance Program Head, Rural Bank of Mabitac
To say that Ed is a product of hard knocks is an understatement, after learning from him his personal and family history that helped toughened him and prepared him to be a hard working, responsible, reliable, and persevering person. Born in Mindanao, Ed lost his parents when he was 12 years old. At a very young age, he went where his feet would take him, with or without money in his pockets. He strived to educate himself and pretty much self-supported his education to finish a two-year course. How he came to Luzon and to RB Mabitac is a story in itself. But Ed had one fervent dream: to have a job that he would really love.
Ed joined RB Mabitac as an account officer in 2002. He was promoted as branch microfinance supervisor in 2005, then area supervisor in 2007, and in February 2008 was designated the Microfinance Program Manager overseeing both the individual and group lending products of the bank in 8 branches and 11 field offices. The micro agri-loan product (MAP) came under his responsibility as well in 2008 when Ms. Cecilia Tanael, who used to be responsible for microfinance operations, became the president of RB Mabitac. [Read more...]
