Tag: USAID

Latest UpdatesMicroinsurance

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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Latest UpdatesMicroinsurance

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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Latest UpdatesMicroinsurance

RBAP-MABS Participates in the Microinsurance Advocacy Training

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 …

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MABS HighlightsMicroinsurance

More Rural Banks Complete Microinsurance Training Course

Eighteen rural banks based in Luzon and Mindanao recently completed the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) Basic Microinsurance Training during two separate sessions. Twenty-nine (29) bank officers and staff from ten (10) rural bank-members of the Cagayan-Kalinga Federation attended the training held in Cooperative Bank, Tuguegarao City, on November 24-25 while eleven (11) bank officers and staff from eight (8) rural banks participated in the course held on December 7-8 in Manila. Altogether, one hundred and sixty (160) rural banks have been trained under the RBAP Basic Microinsurance Training course since January 2011.

The two-day training covers the fundamental concepts and principles of microinsurance through lecture, group exercises and simulation activities. More importantly, participants are guided on the procedures and requirements of the Insurance Company and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for Microinsurance Agent licensing.

The course is part of the activities of the Rural Bankers Association of …

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Latest UpdatesMicroinsurance

Northern Bicol Federation Rural Banks Completed Microinsurance Training Course

Thirteen rural bank-members of the Northern Bicol Federation participated in the 16th Basic Microinsurance Training Course on December 16-17 at Café Frederico in Naga City. To date, 354 rural bank officers and staff from 168 rural banks have completed the training.

The two-day course is designed to guide and qualify rural banks to properly complete the licensing and approval process prescribed by the Insurance Commission, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Securities and Exchange Commission. After successful completion of the course training and the examination, participants will be certified as trained by RBAP, qualifying them as microinsurance soliciting officers of their respective banks.

Northern Bicol Federation rural banks represented were: Bangko Rural ng Pasacao, Municipal Rural Bank of Libmanan, Municipal Rural Bank of Nabua, Peñafrancia Rural Bank of Calabanga, Rural Bank of Goa, Rural Bank of Jose Panganiban, Rural Bank of Ocampo, Rural Bank of Paracale, Rural Bank of …

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Latest UpdatesMicroinsuranceVideos

Video: Microinsurance Services of Rural Banks

This video documents the microinsurance efforts of the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines in partnership with United States Agency for International Development/Philippines through the Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (MABS) Program and the International Labour Organization under the Microinsurance Innovation Facility.

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Latest UpdatesMABS HighlightsVideos

USAID Officers Get Hands-on Briefing on Mobile Phone Banking Services

Officers of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) were given a firsthand briefing on the mobile phone banking initiative of the USAID-supported Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines-Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (RBAP-MABS) Program during a visit with partner bank, PR Savings Bank’s Ortigas Branch on August 11, 2011. The officers included Science & Technology Adviser to the Administrator Alex Dehgan, Environment Officer Kerry Reeves, Teresa Leonardo, Global Climate Change Advisor, and Contracts Officer Technical Representative Teresita Espenilla.

The team was provided with a presentation outlining the Program’s mobile phone banking initiative. As of May 2011, there are some 71 accredited rural banks with over 1,100 branches and other banking offices that are registered to offer mobile phone banking services utilizing the GCASH platform.  These banks have served over 256,000 mobile phone banking clients and customers and have processed more than PhP 12 billion ($ 250 million) in …

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MABS HighlightsMABS Reports

USAID/Philippines RBAP-MABS program highlighted at the ‘Mission of the Month’ event in Washington DC

USAID/Washington designated the Philippines as its ‘Mission of the Month’ for April 2011, and highlighted the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines – Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (RBAP-MABS) program as a project that has demonstrated impact.  During the event, the program’s success stories and lessons learned were shared with officials at the USAID headquarters in Washington, DC.

Melissa Scudo, Chemonics’ Director for Asia, presented the program’s history, work with rural banks, technical approach, and innovations in the field of microfinance.  The RBAP-MABS program supported by USAID/Philippines works with rural banks to sustainably expand microenterprise access to banking services throughout the Philippines.

A cross section of USAID personnel engaged in a lively discussion about the MABS Approach, which RBAP-MABS has been implementing to strengthen commercial microfinance services and its linkages to economic growth and poverty alleviation in Philippine rural areas.

The RBAP-MABS program began in 1997, focusing first on Mindanao. …