Latest UpdatesMABS Highlights

Central Bank of Afghanistan takes a look at the Philippine Mobile Phone Banking Environment

Officials from the Central Bank of Afghanistan visited the Philippines on January 12-15 to study the mobile phone banking offered by rural banks, meet with mobile money operators, and understand the regulations about mobile money and mobile phone banking services in the Philippines.

In coordination with the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) and the Rural Bankers Research and Development Foundation Inc. (RBRDFI), the study tour included visits to RBAP-MABS, the Central Bank of the Philippines (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas / BSP), Smart Communications, G-Xchange Inc., and GM Bank, a MABS participating bank based in Nueva Ecija.

The Afghan representatives were particularly interested in the country’s mobile phone banking services and mobile money platforms including how these services are expanding banking services to the underbanked and unbanked sector. They studied the success factors in the Philippine market, as well as the regulatory framework that made the Philippines a successful model for …

, , , , ,
MABS Highlights

MABS conducts Institutional Assessment for RB Angeles

MABS conducted an institutional assessment of the Rural Bank of Angeles in November to assess the bank’s capability to implement microfinance in its banking operations. Established in 1953, RB Angeles has five branches and other banking offices located in Pampanga and Tarlac.

In coordination with the bank’s top management led by its president, Mr. Robin King, MABS reviewed the results of the initial market research conducted at the bank’s branch in Capas, Tarlac. The MABS team also interviewed the bank’s top officers, branch managers, and microfinance staff to weigh their interest and ability to do the MABS Approach. Finally, MABS analyzed the bank’s management information system (MIS)to evaluate its capacity to generate the reports MABS requires from its participating banks.

To pursue its microfinance initiative, RB Angeles hired new microfinance staff members and prepared resources for training and equipping its new staff. It also engaged the services of MICRA Philippines, …

, , ,
Latest UpdatesMABS Highlights

MABS holds Loan Administration and Management Training for RB Camalig

MABS conducted a Refresher Training Course on Loan Administration and Management for the Rural Bank of Camalig on August 4 – 7, 2009 in Legaspi, Albay. Fifteen officers and staff members attended the training, including the bank’s chief executive officer (CEO) and chief operating officer (COO). They were trained on preparation and analysis of CIBI and cash flow reports, loan review and approval by the credit committee, understanding management information system (MIS) reports, delinquency management, and product and staff performance monitoring. Alan Orogo of MABS Service Provider, Punla sa Tao Foundation, facilitated the training, along with MABS Deputy Chief of Party Meliza Agabin and MABS Microfinance Specialist Girlie Lopez.…

,
MABS Highlights

MABS Featured in Four-Country Study Visit to the Philippines

MABS presented to executives from India, Nepal, Thailand, and the Philippines in the recent study visit arranged by the Asia-Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (APRACA). The participants represented organizations from India, inluding Andhra Bank, the State Bank of India (Mumbai), the State Bank of Mysore (Bangalore), Reserve Bank of India, and Punjab National Bank; from Thailand, the Bank of Thailand; from Nepal, the Nepal Rastra Bank; and from the Philippines, the Agricultural Credit Policy Council.

The briefing focused on MABS Approach to microfinance and mobile phone banking for microfinance clients.…

,
MABS Highlights

Egyptian business, finance, and bank specialists enrich Mobile Banking knowledge thru MABS experience

MABS highlighted the Program’s mobile phone banking best practices in a recent presentation to Egyptian executives from USAID Egypt, General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (Ministry of Investment), Egyptian Insurance Supervisory Authority, Dakahleya Businessmen Association for Community Development, First Microfinance Foundation (Aga Khan), and the Egypt Microenterprise Finance Project.

The Egyptian representatives aim to improve their country’s mobile phone banking services thru the successful gains and challenges resolved in the Philippine m-banking sector as shared by the MABS Program.…

Success Stories

Spreading her peanut butter’s sweet success

MEET OUR CLIENT: Jennilyn Antonio

Jennilyn Antonio became a MABS client in 2004 when she applied for a micro loan with MABS participating bank Rural Bank of Mabitac (RB Mabitac) in Cabuyao, Laguna. Her first loan of Php 30,000 was used to buy a peanut grinder for her startup business of homemade peanut butter. Later on, her succeeding loans of Php 30,000 (second), Php 50,000 (third to sixth), and Php 100,000 (seventh) were all approved and repaid 100% on time. All her loans were invested in their business, which saw significant results.

By 2004, her product and brand Ehje’s Peanut Butter was established and approved by the Bureau of Food and Drugs. In 2005, the business reached gross sales of Php 3.6M and a profit of Php 555,000 (50% of which was reinvested in the business). By 2006, the assets of the business reached a market value of Php 989,000. …

, ,
Story Archive

From Rags to Reaching New Heights through Mobile Payments – Hazel the Seamstress

Hazel is a seamstress at Bibota Industries, a garments shop that began many years ago making rags that sold at 2 US cents per piece.

With the help of microfinance loans through Green Bank, the company gained reliable and prompt access to credit which kept the business going and growing.

In the past, Green Bank’s account officer would travel 45 minutes by motorcycle to collect loan repayments. A recent innovation of Green Bank now allows Bibota Ind to send payments using their mobile phone via the bank’s Text-A-Payment service. Transactions are cheaper and almost instant for both the borrower and the bank. Mobile payments allow borrower and bank to use their time and resources for more productive work.

Bibota has come a long way and now supplies garments to some of the the country’s leading signature clothing chains.

Truly, a story from “Rags” to “Reaching new heights” through mobile payments …

, ,
Success Stories

A downpour of blessings from dry goods retailing

MEET OUR CLIENT: Anunciacion Santillan

In 1999, Anunciacion Santillan used a mere folding bed along the sidewalk as display area for the dry goods she sold. Back then, life was not easy – she and her husband worked hard but still earned barely enough for their family. Less than a decade later, she now owns six merchandize stalls in the Bantayan public market in Bantayan Island, Cebu.

The change for the better was not entirely miraculous but was borne of more hard work, perseverance, financial discipline, and a little outside help.

Year 2003 became a crossroad for the Santillans when they discovered First Agri-Industrial Rural Bank (FAIR Bank) branch on Bantayan island. Mrs. Santillan’s first loan, which amounted to Php 20,000, was used to augment her savings to be used as business capital. Access to more funds and capital increased her opportunities to expand and sell more.

Anunciacion Santillan won the National Award under the Maunlad category in the 2008 Citi Microentrepreneur of the Year Awards.

Anunciacion Santillan won

…
, ,
Story Archive

Mobile Money Expands Pizza Business

Mrs. Sheila Milan owns W’s Pizza, a pizza parlor with branches in three Mindanao towns (Cantilan, Madrid, and Tandag). In March 2007, Sheila, a borrower and depositor of Cantilan Bank since 2005, agreed to become a bank partner-merchant and started accepting GCASH from her customers. Since then, Sheila has seen her sales expand because of mobile payments.

Now, she is able to accept orders for delivery that are paid through GCASH. All three of her parlors now accept GCASH as payment; the cashiers of the other two branches send their GCASH sales to her at the end of each day phone-to-phone. Early in March 2008, Sheila started selling a popular donut brand in her store. Because she finds mobile phone banking services a more convenient and affordable mode of making payments and money transfers, she talked her supplier into accepting GCASH as well. Sheila said the arrangement has been working …

, ,