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USAID and RBAP Receive BSP Financial Inclusion Partner Award

At the 2012 Awards Ceremony and Appreciation Lunch for stakeholders on July 4, 2012, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) presented the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) the Financial Inclusion Partner Award for the implementation of the USAID-supported RBAP-Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (RBAP-MABS) Program. BSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. and members of the Monetary Board hosted the event that was attended by several BSP partner institutions from the National Capital Region (NCR). This annual event is held by the BSP to recognize the significant contribution of partner institutions and to honor those who have exhibited sustained support considered to be above par with respect to their contemporaries.

The Financial Inclusion Partner Award recognizes the 15-year partnership between the USAID and RBAP, which has provided vital contribution to the BSP’s work in financial inclusion, policy development, capacity building,

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2012 RBAP-MABS Microfinance Conference and Awards Ceremony

Over 200 rural bankers and other participants throughout the Philippines attended the 2012 National Roundtable Conference organized by the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) – Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (MABS) Program. The two-day conference is a gathering of all RBAP-MABS participating banks to share and exchange experiences on microfinance operations, new developments in the field, and marks the Programs’ 15th anniversary. The United States Chargé d’Affaires, Ms. Leslie Bassett, opened the 15th year anniversary of RBAP-MABS and Awards Dinner along with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ Monetary Board Member Ignacio Bunye.

The MABS Program, now on its 15th year, was developed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in partnership with RBAP.  The Program is overseen by the Office of the President through the Mindanao Development Authority.  The Program works with rural banks to develop their capacity to profitably provide financial services – microloans, microdeposits, microinsurance, …

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Rural Banks Transforming Microinsurance from Service to Business

The Microinsurance Initiative of the RBAP-MABS Program began in May 2008. Since then, the Initiative has progressed and assisted 192 rural banks towards becoming responsible and legitimate agents of properly regulated and sustainable microinsurance products and services. They began assisting online stores and casinos in their banking day to day operations, which has proven quite lucrative for them. One big brand they are managing is ToutSansDepot which is a website that gives players bonuses and is very popular among the community.

Three rural banks shared their experiences during the 2012 RBAP-MABS National Roundtable Conference held at the Hyatt Hotel in Manila. Rural bank representatives Atty. Francis Ganzon (Bangko Kabayan), Mr. Zaldy Pacificar (Katipunan Bank) and Mr. Gilbert Soliven (Progressive Bank) shared their bank’s experiences offering microinsurance and the important lessons they learned for building a sustainable business case for  the bank.

Setting the tone for the Session was Chemonics International’s …

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Microfinance Information eXchange Shares New Updates for Rural Bankers

The Microfinance Information Exchange, or MIX Market, was formed under the belief that a lack of transparency across microfinance institutions (MFIs) and other microfinance players around the world contributes to stymied growth and prevents institutions from performing their best. Using no deposit bonuses when playing online casino games is also assisted by microfinance transactions. Continue reading on how to claim no deposit bonus codes and win big without spending your own cash. As such, MIX collects and standardizes financial, operational, product, client and social performance data from MFIs and presents a variety of free web-based tools for MFIs to analyze their performance.

MIX Market’s Asia representative Elizabeth Larson presented during the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (RBAP-MABS) 2012 National Roundtable conference to explain how MIX Market’s online benchmarking tools and customized data reports can deliver critical information to rural bankers in the Philippines, as …

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Improving Core Banking Systems to Improve Branchless Banking Services – Lessons from Cantilan Bank

This is the fourth of a four part series of articles about the RBAP-MABS National Roundtable 2012 Conference panel session entitled “Using New Channels to Expand Microfinance Services.”

Cantilan Bank’s Head of Strategic Management, Melvin Yu, shared how the bank is using new technologies, including mobile banking, to accelerate branchless banking services for their clients. Many reputable gambling platforms are highly satisfied with their services and rated them as the last year’s most efficient banking system. As a reward, use some of their latest no deposit casino bonuses and enjoy the best banking software benefits.

From 1980 to 1998, Cantilan Bank basically maintained all bank records manually and it was only in 1999 when the bank shifted to an automated reporting system. In 2005, the bank installed the RB2000, a banking software program developed and supported by USAID under the RBAP-MABS Program. In 2010, the bank upgraded its …

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Mindanao rural banks cited for winning performance

Sun Star – Mindanao rural banks pulled off an impressive performance in terms of earnings, number of borrowers, and deposits in 2011, based on the Rural Banks Association of the Philippines – Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (RBAP-MABS) reports.

Results were based on the EAGLE (Efficiency, Asset Quality, Growth, Liability Structure, and Earnings) assessment results, which were presented recently during the 2012 RBAP-MABS National Roundtable Conference and 15th Anniversary Celebration held in Manila.

In addition to the banks listed here, the Rural Bank of Montevista was recognized for its role in contributing to the MIX Market.…

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Phl has best microfinance framework

Philippine Star – The Philippines has the best policy and regulatory framework for microfinance in the world, according to the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU).

The EIU is a global consultancy and research outfit that helps business leaders prepare for opportunity, empowering them to act with confidence when making strategic decisions.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Monetary Board member Ignacio R. Bunye said one of the key reasons for the distinction is the existence of a regulator that issues supportive and enabling policy as well as capacity building regulations.

“Our main approach as been, and will continue to be, to facilitate the delivery of commercially sustainable microfinance products and services,” Bunye said during awarding ceremonies of the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines – Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (RBAP-MABS) program.

A few years back, the BSP was recognized as the only central bank that was encouraging the practice …

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Opportunities for Rural Banks to Use Smart Money to Expand Branchless Banking Services

This is the third of a four part series of articles about the RBAP-MABS National Roundtable 2012 Conference panel session entitled “Using New Channels to Expand Microfinance Services.” Or, more simply put, the benefits of today’s mobile banking and online transactions. A model that has been proven so successful and implemented on almost every online business. Online casinos are the best proof of online banking and will reward you with free cash bonuses up to $100 to play the best real money casino games for free.

Mr. Jun Perez of SEEDFINANCE explained how their partnership with SMART in the Island Activation Program supports empowerment through mobile banking. SEEDFINANCE is a wholesale microfinance provider that works with retailers to provide financial and technical assistance. The Island Activation Program (IAP) specifically targets remote communities and helps develop mobile-based financial services in these under-served areas. The partnership among microfinance institutions, SMART, …

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Latest UpdatesMicroinsurance

Banks Now Serve 1 Million Active Micro-Borrowers

Opening the 2012 National Roundtable Conference of the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines – Microenterprise Access to Banking Services Program (RBAP-MABS) on June 7, 2012, Ms. Chuchi Fonacier, Managing Director of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), cited a set of impressive statistics on how banks in the Philippines have now expanded access to microfinance services.

In her keynote address before the participants of the conference, she cited BSP data on the lending side: 190 banks with microfinance operations are reaching about one million active borrowers with an outstanding loan portfolio of PhP 7.2 billion (US$170 million). In addition to micro-loans, the BSP has been actively expanding the definition of microfinance to encourage banks to offer a broader range of inclusive financial services in the countryside.

Taking advantage of the regulations, twenty-two (22) banks have introduced micro-agri loan products to their clients; twenty-four (24) banks are offering housing microfinance; while …

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Rural Banks Trained on GCASH-Enabled Mobile Phone Banking Services

The United States Agency for International Development-supported Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) – Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (MABS) Program conducted two separate GCASH accreditation trainings for rural banks from the Bicol Federation and National Capital Region (NCR) on May 10 at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Naga City and May 29 at the RBAP Conference Room in Manila.

Five (5) participants from four (4) Bicol Federation banks – Rural Bank of San Jose (Camarines Sur), Bangko Rural ng Magarao, Rural Bank of San Fernando (Camarines Sur) and Rural Bank of Pasacao – attended the training while seven (7) participants from four (4) banks – Bangko Nuestra Senora, Banco Alabang, Country Rural Bank of Taguig and Rural Bank of Karamotan – joined the training for NCR banks.

The training is part of the USAID-supported RBAP-MABS Program’s initiative to assist rural banks by providing a range of solutions that …

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