RBAP-MABS orients La Union rural bankers on the MABS Approach to Microfinance

August 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment
RBAP-MABS conducted a Senior Management Orientation (SMO) for the Chamber of La Union Rural Bankers (CLURB) on August 11 to provide all interested member rural banks with an overview of the MABS Program and the MABS Approach to Microfinance.
Thirteen rural banks participated in the activity: Bannawag Bank, La Union Development Bank, Rang-ay Bank, Rural Bank of Luna, Cooperative Rural Bank of San Gabriel, Rural Bank of Bacnotan, Cooperative Bank of La Union, Rural Bank of Agoo, Rural Bank of Sudipen, Rural Bank of Caba, Rural Bank of Bauang, Rural Bank of Bangan, and Rural Bank of Rosario. The team provided an understanding of how the MABS Approach can be used to assist rural banks to develop their capacity to more effectively provide microfinance services in their respective communities. The Federation was quite interested in exploring ways to group together to more effectively share in the costs of bringing the MABS Approach training modules to La Union for the benefit of all of their interested member rural banks.
A follow up SMO was also conducted for the Board of Directors of Rural Bank of Rosario (La Union) Inc. on August 12. Fifteen participants from the bank’s management and staff attended the orientation held at the bank’s main office. Among them were the bank’s chairman, Mr. Jesus Tabora; bank president, Mr. Nicholas Tabora; members of the Board of Directors; senior officers from different departments; and the branch managers of all of the bank’s five branches.
The first of the MABS Approach to Microfinance modules, the SMO introduces bank officers and key personnel to the important stages of developing new microfinance products and services including market research, product development, loan administration and management, pilot testing, and operations review. A representative from the Microfinance Innovation Center for Resources and Alternatives (MICRA) Philippines, one of the three MABS Service Providers, also presented an overview on their training program and other initiatives. After the SMO, the bank officers expressed their interest in joining the group training for the MABS Approach with MICRA, along with three other rural banks.
RBAP-MABS has been supported by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) since 1997 and has been the main vehicle for RBAP to provide microfinance product development and best practice training to well over 300 member rural banks across the Philippines.

RBAP-MABS conducted a Senior Management Orientation (SMO) for the Chamber of La Union Rural Bankers (CLURB) on August 11 to provide all interested member rural banks with an overview of the MABS Program and the MABS Approach to Microfinance.

Thirteen rural banks participated in the activity: Bannawag Bank, La Union Development Bank, Rang-ay Bank, Rural Bank of Luna, Cooperative Rural Bank of San Gabriel, Rural Bank of Bacnotan, Cooperative Bank of La Union, Rural Bank of Agoo, Rural Bank of Sudipen, Rural Bank of Caba, Rural Bank of Bauang, Rural Bank of Bangan, and Rural Bank of Rosario. The team provided an understanding of how the MABS Approach can be used to assist rural banks to develop their capacity to more effectively provide microfinance services in their respective communities. The Federation was quite interested in exploring ways to group together to more effectively share in the costs of bringing the MABS Approach training modules to La Union for the benefit of all of their interested member rural banks.

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