Emilenn Kate Sacdalan-Pateño graduated with a double degree in Development Studies and Economics from the Ateneo de Manila University. She completed her Master’s Degree in International Community Economic Development at the Southern New Hampshire University, United States of America. At present, she is a lecturer at the Development Studies Program of the Ateneo de Manila University.
As one of the pioneer members of SEDPI, she provides indefatigable and reliable delivery of customized and public-run training courses and technical and mentoring services to microfinance institutions in key cities and provinces all over the Philippines. She has worked on the documentation of best practices of microfinance institutions in the Philippines under the commission of the National Confederation of Cooperatives and the Peace and Equity Foundation. Moreover, she has led organizational appraisals of different microfinance institutions in the country.
Furthermore, Emilenn also provides technical and mentoring services to microfinance and microenterprise stakeholders the world over. She has conducted several trainings for the Central Bank of Nigeria as well as other Microfinance Training Service Providers in Nigeria. In addition, she has also provided Financial Literacy for Filipino migrants in Dubai and Hong Kong.
She leads SEDPI’s front liners in field research and training. Her excellent communication skills with the grassroots allow her to easily integrate into communities from which crucial data are gathered for research. She seamlessly conducts focus group discussions and completes surveys very efficiently. From her front line work, Emilenn is able to transform data into valuable information through rigorous statistical analysis and then later translate these in operational terms that could be understood by microfinance practitioners.