Rural Banks Providing Financial Education in Branchless Banking

November 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By Cheryl Lualhati Balingit, RBAP-MABS Special Projects Coordinator

In Filipino grammar, adding the prefix mag is a nifty way to verbalize a noun. This extends from everyday, colloquial conversation Mag-kape tayo (Let’s have coffee) Mag-sine tayo (Let’s watch a movie) to more profound exhortations, like Mag-bago na tayo. (It’s time we make a change). The United States Agency for International Development-supported Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (RBAP-MABS) Program with assistance from Microfinance Opportunities (MFO) is now assisting rural banks to extend this further to promote mobile phone banking services with the launch of mag-CellBank! and the pilot testing of the Financial Education for Branchless Banking Project.

mag-CellBank!, the new logo for mobile phone banking services, employs the prefix mag to cell (for cellphone) and bank. Mag-CellBank! is an enthusiastic call for clients to perform banking transactions using their cellphones. The new name, along with a visual identity, is integrated into the new Financial Education for Branchless Banking toolkit that is currently being used by three pilot banks – GM Bank, Cantilan Bank, and 1st Valley Bank. mag-CellBank! services include Text-A-Payment (TAP), Text-A-Deposit (TAD), Text-A-Withdrawal (TAW), and phone-to-phone transfers and payments.

mag-cellbank!Launched in June 2010, the Financial Education for Branchless Banking Project is implemented by the RBAP-MABS Program with support from MFO, a Washington-based global nonprofit that develops consumer-focused ideas and solutions for the microfinance industry. The project, which is implemented in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation, aims to increase the uptake and use of mobile phone banking services through the use of financial education tools.

The dissemination and use of the toolkit rounds up close to a year of work and preparation.

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Filed Under: Latest Updates, MABS Features, MABS Highlights Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Conditional Cash Transfer Improves lives

July 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) in Tagobon, Cebu

More than a thousand people waited in line to receive their second cash payment from the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Tabogon, Cebu last July 26, 2011. Green Bank, a participating bank of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-supported Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines-Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (RBAP-MABS) Program, assisted the release of PhP 1.2 million pesos (US$30,000) financial assistance through GCASH Remit.

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Filed Under: Latest Updates, MABS Features, MABS Highlights Tagged With: , , , , , ,

RBAP-MABS links rural banks, insurers, MSPs, and ATM and m-banking partners in “speed networking” activity

July 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Speed Networking 1

Throughout its more than  12 years of working to strengthen the Philippine microfinance industry, the USAID-supported RBAP-MABS program has sought innovative methods not only in microfinance product and service delivery, but also in training methods on how to sustain best practices and maintain strong business partnerships.

At the 2011 National Roundtable Conference held in Manila on May 23-24, RBAP-MABS, for the first time, employed a “speed networking” approach to facilitate networking among rural banks and other microfinance partners so as to nurture relationships and explore partnerships and business opportunities. RBAP-MABS brought together partner rural banks, insurance providers, MABS service providers (MSPs), and ATM and m-banking partners in the activity.

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Filed Under: Latest Updates, MABS Features, MABS Tips Tagged With: ,

Summer Internship: An Introspection

June 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

AB Political Science student Angeline Gervacio shares her learnings and experiences as an intern of the RBAP-MABS Program

180 hours. This was how long I worked at the USAID-supported RBAP-MABS program for my internship this summer. I am Angeline Gervacio, currently taking up AB Political Science at the Ateneo de Manila University.

Almost everyone who knew about this internship asked me, “What are you doing there?” Well, I always think that there is a purpose why I chose this path, working in their office in Intramuros, Manila for about 2 months.

In the first week of my internship, I was asked to join the field officers’ Smart Money training for the Rural Bank of Mabitac in Los Baños. The province was just a two-hour drive from Manila and the workshop would be held for two days. Even though I only got a chance to attend the first day of the training/workshop, I could say that I pretty much got a good dose of what the RBAP-MABS Program is about. Like what most people say, you wouldn’t know how great it is that you’re dealing with until you try doing it yourself! It was a long day but I was happy to see the participants get involved actively during day one, considering it was spent mostly on introducing the new technology they were being offered. [Read more...]

Filed Under: MABS Features

2010 MABS EAGLE Awardees

May 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In May 2011, MABS named two of its outstanding participating banks as the EAGLE ACHIEVEMENT Awardees for 2010. These were Bangko Kabayan and Rural Bank of Gattaran.

In recognition of the banks’ exemplary performance in 2010, MABS prepared video documentaries presenting each bank’s success and best practices. These videos are now available online.

Click the following links to watch the videos:

The EAGLE Achievement Award

The annual EAGLE Awards is MABS’ way of recognizing its excelling partner rural banks based on their Efficiency, Asset Quality, Growth, Liability Structure, and Earnings (EAGLE). Every year, MABS conducts an assessment of its participating banks’ performance particularly in microfinance. The results of the annual assessment are presented to the rural banks in a score card format along with written analyses and recommendations for improvement, usually during the annual National Roundtable Conference. Those that met MABS’ standards for excellence are awarded the EAGLE Achievement Award.

Filed Under: Announcements, MABS Features, Videos Tagged With: , , ,
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