Visayas and Mindanao Rural Banks attend Mobile Phone Banking Accreditation Training Course

September 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

GCASH Training of Visayas and Mindanao Rural Banks

Fourteen representatives from eight rural banks based in the Visayas and Mindanao attended the Mobile Phone Banking Accreditation training and refresher course at the Diamond Suites in Cebu City last September 9.  The training was organized by the United States Agency for International Development-supported Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines-Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (RBAP-MABS) Program and co-sponsored by G-Xchange Inc. (GXI), a wholly-owned subsidiary and the mobile commerce arm of Globe Telecom.

The one-day training focused on the fundamentals of mobile phone banking services utilizing the GCASH platform. Among other essential topics discussed were contingency plans, security controls, reporting and monitoring transactions.

The training is designed for rural banks interested in becoming accredited by GXI to utilize the GCASH platform for mobile phone banking services.  The training helps to ensure that all banks comply with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas electronic banking standards.

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RBAP-MABS Holds Regional Mobile Phone Banking Accreditation Course for Luzon Banks

August 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines–Microenterprise Access to Banking Services Program (RBAP-MABS) in cooperation with Globe’s G-Xchange Inc. (GXI) conducted a regional GCASH accreditation training and refresher course on August 25, 2011 at the RBAP Conference Room in Intramuros, Manila. Thirty-three (33) participants from eighteen (18) rural banks from Luzon completed the course.

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RBAP-MABS trains another set of rural banks to offer Housing Microfinance services

August 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment
More rural banks are now preparing to offer housing microfinance (HMF) services as RBAP-MABS trains its third batch of bankers on market research for the HMF loan product. Twenty-five (25) participants from 9 rural banks interested in developing housing microfinance services for their clients attended the training held on August 25-27 in Mallig, Isabela.
Held as a collaborative effort of the USAID-supported RBAP-MABS Program and its certified service providers, Punla sa Tao Foundation and Microfinance Innovation Center for Resource and Alternatives (MICRA), the training was initiated by Ms. Praxedes Ignacio, President of the Northeast Luzon Microfinance Council.
The rural banks and microfinance institutions represented in the training were Rural Bank of Mabitac, Philippine Rural Banking Corp. (PR Bank), Mallig Plains Rural Bank, Agri-Business Rural Bank, Cagayan Valley Cooperative Bank, Rural Bank of Luna (Kalinga-Apayao), North Pacific Banking Corp. (a Rural Bank), Rural Bank of Maddela and Nueva Segovia Consortium of Cooperatives.
While the focus of the training was on conducting market research to prepare for housing microfinance services, also it also included updates on cash flow analysis for the benefit of the trainees. Cashflow-based lending is at the heart of the RBAP-MABS Approach and allows banks to more appropriately determine the debt capacity of their clients.
The participants received training on the tools for market research with hands-on practice on survey data gathering, processing and analyzing. “It’s a very engaging, informative and helpful workshop for our bank, especially the market research tips,” Ms. Kimberly Cabbigat (Agri-Business Rural Bank) said after the training workshop. The participants reinforced this statement as they further asserted that the workshop helped them with hands-on experiences in analyzing market research data collected in the field.
Mr. Caloy Pasion, the Executive Vice-President of PR Bank shared, “I am happy to say that I appreciate and thanked the facilitators as the training provided very interesting topics and helped get my staff involved.”
The training event is the first module for banks planning to develop and offer housing microfinance services. HMF is a new service that banks are now actively pursuing after the issuance of BSP Circular 678 early this year.  The participants will now work over the next month in conducting their own market research for their banks. After this research, the participants will again gather to participate in the second module for the housing microfinance product development course, where the participants will prepare their business plans, strategies and operation manuals.
The RBAP-MABS Program is supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). As of June 2010, RBAP-MABS participating banks have already disbursed more than 1,665 housing microfinance loans totaling more than PhP 52.04 million.

More rural banks are now preparing to offer housing microfinance (HMF) services as RBAP-MABS trains its third batch of bankers on market research for the HMF loan product. Twenty-five (25) participants from 9 rural banks interested in developing housing microfinance services for their clients attended the training held on August 25-27 in Mallig, Isabela.

Held as a collaborative effort of the USAID-supported RBAP-MABS Program and its certified service providers, Punla sa Tao Foundation and Microfinance Innovation Center for Resource and Alternatives (MICRA), the training was initiated by Ms. Praxedes Ignacio, President of the Northeast Luzon Microfinance Council.

The rural banks and microfinance institutions represented in the training were Rural Bank of Mabitac, Philippine Rural Banking Corp. (PR Bank), Mallig Plains Rural Bank, Agri-Business Rural Bank, Cagayan Valley Cooperative Bank, Rural Bank of Luna (Kalinga-Apayao), North Pacific Banking Corp. (a Rural Bank), Rural Bank of Maddela and Nueva Segovia Consortium of Cooperatives.

HMF Mallig 1

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MABS orients rural banks on microinsurance

July 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

SMO for Microinsurance

RBAP-MABS provided a comprehensive overview of microinsurance to its participating banks on July 20 as part of its campaign for better insurance services for microfinance clients. Twelve (12) senior bank officers from ten (10) rural banks attended the Senior Management Orientation (SMO) in Manila, which introduced the potential benefits of formal microinsurance services for rural banks.
RBAP President Ma. Corazon Llamzon-Miller welcomed her fellow bankers into the activity, acknowledging the emerging need for microinsurance services among microfinance clients. She also expressed her appreciation for the RBAP-MABS program for continuously supporting rural banks and developing innovative products that can help alleviate poverty among microfinance clients in the countryside.
RBAP-MABS discussed the regulatory framework for enhancing microinsurance services, citing recent requirements from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Insurance Commission (IC). The team plans to work with rural banks interested in offering formal microinsurance services as institutional microinsurance agents. RBAP-MABS invited rural banks to participate in a pilot program which will test licensing toolkits and accreditation training in collaboration with the IC and the BSP.
The Microinsurance SMO Orientation Meeting was extended to Visayas and Mindanao rural banks on July 22 in Cebu City. Twelve representatives from four rural banks attended.
In all, seven (7) rural banks signed up as pilot participants.  The RBAP-MABS team hopes to engage more rural banks to ensure diversified representation from the sector which may contribute to a wider range of field lessons for the project.
MABS is a United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-supported program in partnership with the Rural Bankers’ Association of the Philippines (RBAP), with oversight from the Office of the President through the Mindanao Development Authority (MINDA), and implemented by Chemonics International.

RBAP-MABS provided a comprehensive overview of microinsurance to its participating banks on July 20 as part of its campaign for better insurance services for microfinance clients. Twelve (12) senior bank officers from ten (10) rural banks attended the Senior Management Orientation (SMO) in Manila, which introduced the potential benefits of formal microinsurance services for rural banks.

RBAP President Ma. Corazon Llamzon-Miller welcomed her fellow bankers into the activity, acknowledging the emerging need for microinsurance services among microfinance clients. She also expressed her appreciation for the RBAP-MABS program for continuously supporting rural banks and developing innovative products that can help alleviate poverty among microfinance clients in the countryside. [Read more...]

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MABS Approach to Microfinance introduced to Banco Las Piñas

July 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

RBAP-MABS conducted a senior management orientation (SMO) for Banco Las Piñas (Rural Bank of Zapote, Inc.) on July 15 to give the bank an overview of the MABS Program and the MABS Approach to Microfinance. The bank is located in the District of Zapote in the city of Las Pinas, Metro Manila. With assets of over P500 million (about US$10.9 million), the bank has decided to explore the MABS Approach as a means to expand its market particularly for the microentrepreneurs of Las Pinas. Nine participants from the bank’s management and staff attended the orientation held at the bank’s main office. Among them were the bank’s president, Dr. Emilio Casimiro, members of the Board of Directors, and senior officers from different departments.

The first of the MABS Approach to Microfinance modules, the SMO introduces bank officers and key personnel to MABS initiatives, as well as its modules on market research, product development, loan administration, pilot testing, and operations review. Two representatives 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, bank officers expressed their interest in enrolling the bank under MICRA’s training program for the MABS Approach with the first module slated to start in the first week of September 2010.

RBAP-MABS is a United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-supported program in partnership with the Rural Bankers’ Association of the Philippines (RBAP), with oversight from the Office of the President through the Mindanao Development Authority (MINDA).

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