In celebration of Microinsurance Month, a three-day Training on Microinsurance Advocacy (TOMA) was held in Tagaytay City from January 18-20. The Microinsurance Teams of the United States Agency for International Development-supported Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines-Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (RBAP-MABS) and RBAP-Rural Bankers Research Development Foundation Inc. participated. The event was the third in a series of workshops under the Financial Literacy Roadshow on Microinsurance Advocacy that will be conducted in sixteen (16) regions of the country. Collaborators include German International Cooperation-Microinsurance Innovations Program for Social Security (GIZ-MIPSS), Insurance Commission, National Credit Council (NCC) of the Department of Finance (DOF) and Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction Program of the Asian Development Bank.
The event sought to enhance the knowledge and skills of participants to become advocates of microinsurance in the Philippines. Thirty-eight (38) individuals from various national government agencies, intermediaries, donor agencies, support institutions, local government units and service providers were present at the training. This public-private sector mix allowed participants to witness the diversity of perspectives; which coupled with adult learning methodologies, allowed for an enjoyable and enriching experience.
Facilitators led by DOF-NCC Director Joselito Almario imparted the key message, “Financial literacy is educating, not marketing; and advocacy is convincing, not selling”. This effectively served as the principle on which the training program’s content and activities were designed.
Key activities for Day 1 kicked off with the Facilitators’ training. Day 2 followed through with the fundamentals of Microinsurance; and Day 3 focused on group activities which allowed participants to apply the Microinsurance advocacy techniques they learned in a nurturing and learning environment.
Through the Training on Microinsurance Advocacy event DOF hopes to develop a pool of trainer-advocates with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to promote microinsurance in the Philippines.