Fifteen management staff of Abuyog Saint Francis Xavier Credit Cooperative (AFCCO) were conferred a Diploma in Microfinance. Ateneo de Manila University’s Development Studies Program conferred the diploma through its program manager, Mariel Vincent Rapisura. The event was held on March 17, 2012 in Abuyog, Leyte during AFCCO’s general assembly meeting.
“Thank you for unselfishly sharing your knowledge to us. The partnership has helped our cooperative grow stable and service oriented,” Charry Guston, AFCCO’s operations manager, wrote in a framed certificate extended to Ateneo and Social Enterprise Development Partnerships, Inc. (SEDPI). AFCCO and SEDPI inked a partnership three years ago to provide capacity buildings services aimed at improving service delivery to microfinance clients and improved financial performance. The capacity building interventions extended were trainings, technical and mentoring assistance, planning, research and organizational appraisal. The trainings provided led to a Diploma Course in microfinance to its management staff without extra cost.
The diploma course graduates submitted documentations on how the trainings and other capacity building interventions contributed to the overall improvement of AFCCO’s financial and social performance. AFCCO’s COOP PESOS rating improved from 80 in 2010 to 87 this year. COOP PESOS is a performance-based regulation measure of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA).
The table below shows the graduates’ researches:
|
Name |
Research |
| Almodera, Cristeta | Significance of microfinance as a poverty eradication tool |
| Arabiana, Arlene | Savings Mobilization from Women Coop Members |
| Bero, Jenny | AFFCO Members in Good Standing Classification |
| Calinawan, Daniel | Mitigating Fraudulent Activities |
| Dalino, Olive | Savings and Credit for Women |
| Guimbaolibot, Juliet | Establishing AFFCO’s Asset Recovery Team |
| Guston, Charrie | Establishing Incentives Schemes for AFCCO Staff |
| Montilla, Melchessadisch | Strategies to Increase Member Savings |
| Montipolka, Jessica | Learnings from AFCCO’s Sustainable Organic Agriculture |
| Napoles, Marilou | Improving AFCCO’s Member Benefit Program |
| Nodalo, Rose | AFCCO’s Financial Product Development Process |
| Peneda, Edwin | Importance of Dividends, Patronage and Interest to Members |
| Realino, Mario | AFCCO’s Officers Development Program |
| Tonido, May | Social and Financial Literacy among Kids and School Children |
| Yringco, Luz | Social Audit of AFCCO |
The Diploma in Microfinance is a 13-unit modular course work. It could be completed through attending public run, customized or online courses of the Ateneo Microfinance Capacity Building Program. Public and customized trainings have the equivalent of 1.33 units while online courses are equivalent to one unit. The participants should also pass tests administered after completion of each training event. A simple research or documentation of how the learnings were applied to the microfinance institution is also required. The research or documentation is equivalent to 4 four units. Since 2009, almost 400 microfinance practitioners graduated from the program. To date, there are 1,177 individuals enrolled in the program.