On February 16-17, 2015, the People’s Development Trust Fund (PDTF) held a workshop to review current policies, practices, trends and action planning in Pasig City. Representatives from the basic sectors, accredited service providers and government agencies were present during the review workshop.
People’s Credit and Finance Corporation (PCFC) is mandated administer PDTF under Executive Order 110. PDTF is a fund created under the Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act (Republic Act 8425). The act mandates the development of nationwide network of viable and sustainable microfinance institutions and microenterprise business development service groups that are able to deliver effective and efficient microfinance services to the poor and help them develop enterprises.
SEDPI’s President and CEO, Mr. Mariel Vincent Rapisura, delivered input on “Sustainable Social Enterprise for the Economic Empowerment of the Poor through Capability Building.” SEDPI is an accredited service provider of the PDTF. Since 2008, SEDPI provided capacity building services to at least six microfinance institutions all over the Philippines. The microfinance institutions have a total outreach of 197,300 poor households. Mr. Rapisura emphasized in his talk the importance of enhancing market-based solutions to address social problems. The MFIs who benefited from PDTF were Agricultural and Rural Development for Catanduanes, Inc. (ARDCI), Kasagana-Ka Development Centre, Inc. (KDCI), Mount Carmel Rural Bank (MCRB), Progressive Bank, Inc. (PBI), Abuyog Saint Francis Xavier Credit Cooperative (AFCCO) and Community Rural Bank of Catmon (CRBC).