Author: Mariel Vincent Rapisura

Last September 5 – 6, 2012, Social Enterprise Development Partnerships, Inc. (SEDPI) delivered a training course on Supervision and Leadership in Caoayan, Ilocos Sur. Thirty six participants from nine different cooperatives joined the training event. Most of the participants were either top or middle managers of their respective cooperatives. The event was hosted by Nueva Segovia Consortium of Cooperatives, which is one of the training hubs under the ADMU-SEDPI Microfinance Capacity Building Program.

The training course is provided microfinance managers with a holistic understanding of various areas involved in managing microfinance operations. The course covers topics such as management and leadership roles, the role and dynamics of teams, conflict resolution, assessment of microfinance operations, customer services, review of strategic plan, and review of skills needed to be an effective manager. The training approach includes workshops especially designed to assist microfinance managers in handling the various operational issues that they face such as delinquency, financial performance monitoring, human resource issues, and strategic plan issues.

Participants were very satisfied with the course even though this was the first time they attended a SEDPI training event. Some commented that the training was well presented, interesting and that the speakers were very active which helped catch the participants’ attention. One even commented that the seminar gave him the knowledge on how to deal with his co-employees and that he, “hope that our next seminar you will be our speakers again.”

The training course and the trainers were rated excellent. SEDPI Program Officer Emilenn Kate Sacdalan and Program Officer Denise Subido lead the delivery of the training course.

Eighteen management staff from BPI Globe BanKO attended the training course entitled “Delivering Pro-Poor Financial Services: Microcredit”. The course was delivered by SEDPI last August 22 – 24, in BPI Globe BanKO’s Head Office in San Juan. The course discusses the definition and principles of microfinance, the characteristics of microfinance clients and various methodologies in the provision of microcredit. The course also presents character and debt capacity as bases for assessing credit worthiness and gives a preview on how to prevent delinquency. Through the identification of the causes and costs of delinquency, the participants are encouraged to develop policies on how to prevent and mitigate these. SEDPI also shares its vast experience in implementing effective delinquency management techniques during the training.

ADMU-SEDPI Microfinance Capacity Building Program partnered with BPI Globe BanKO to extend capacity-building interventions to local and international microfinance and microenterprise stakeholders to improve their delivery of financial services to the enterprising poor. This strategic partnership combines the capacity-building services of ADMU-SEDPI with the network of BPI Globe BanKO to reach more microfinance institutions nationwide.

BPI Globe BanKO is a joint venture among BPI, Ayala Corporation and Globe Telecom, combining and harnessing the three companies’ specializations on sustainable development, financial services, and mobile technology. Though the bank offers financial services to low-income entrepreneurs, they also capacity-building loans to microfinance institutions. The capacity-building loan may be used for improvement of operations, expansion of branch networks, and development of management information systems. The loan also includes training of officers and staff in partnership with the ADMU-SEDPI Microfinance Capacity Building Program.

The training event was lead by SEDPI President and CEO Mariel Vincent Rapisura and Chairperson Edwin Salonga. Program Manager Emilenn Kate Sacdalan and Program Officers Florence Angelica Adviento, Enid Kathleen Madarcos, Denise Subido and Cherryl Si also assisted in the delivery of the training. Overall, the participants enjoyed the training and rated it as excellent.

On August 13-18, 2012, Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU) and Social Enterprise Development Partnerships, Inc. (SEDPI) successfully conducted two trainings in Cabanatuan City under the Ateneo-SEDPI Microfinance Capacity Building Program. The two trainings, Proposal Writing and Delinquency Management for Disaster Situations, were the first batch of trainings conducted with Alalay sa Kaunlaran, Inc. (ASKI), SEDPI’s training hub partner in Cabanatuan City.

A total of 34 participants from the top and middle management positions of ASKI attended the course on Proposal Writing. The course discusses the basics of proposal writing and the determining factors that set apart winning program designs and project proposals. The training was comprehensive and practical, with workshops on how to write the basic parts of a proposal. By the end of the training, participants were able to craft proposals on various projects they plan to propose to ASKI’s board of directors. Among the projects they presented were disaster management plans, new loan products, improvement of information systems, and other special projects for community development.

The training on Delinquency Management for Disaster Situations also had 34 participants. Delinquency is one of the major challenges that MFIs face, particularly in disaster situations. The course aims to give participants a deeper understanding of delinquency, its causes, and how it can be addressed. Actual steps done by MFIs were presented, emphasizing the need for both preventive and curative strategies. Participants were also taught how to craft a disaster management plan on what to do before, during, and after disasters.

Three program officers from SEDPI conducted the trainings: Ms. Florence Adviento, Ms. Enid Madarcos and Ms. Cherryl Si.  Both trainings were well-received by participants. According to them, the trainings were “very lively”, and the trainers were “great” and “knowledgeable regarding the topic”.

Twenty-three participants from seven different organizations participated in Risk Management, Internal Control and Audit course under the Ateneo-SEDPI Microfinance Capacity Building Program from August 2 to 4, 2012.  This is the third course run in 2012 with Quezon City–based training hub partner, Kasagana-Ka Development Center, Inc. (KDCI).

Bank regulators from Bank Indonesia and Cambodia’s Ministry of Finance attended the training to gain knowledge on methodologies employed by other countries in supervising microfinance institutions (MFIs), and assessing and managing MFI risks.  Other participants came from MFIs all over the Philippines.  They represented organizations such as KDCI, 1st Macro Bank, Inter-Asia Development Bank, Lingap Pangkabataan, and Tulong Kalinga Foundation Incorporated.

This risk management, internal control and audit course provided guidelines for establishing operational activities that assist the MFIs in identifying vulnerabilities, designing and implementing controls and monitoring the effectiveness of controls. Special emphasis was given to problem prevention, early problem identification and control.  In one of the workshops, participants shared usual microfinance internal audit findings.  They then recommended internal controls to counter these risks.

The course also highlighted problem resolution and installation of proper information systems as means for risk management and internal control. The course also provided in-depth discussions on how internal and external audits are conducted, and how they could be used to the advantage of an MFI.

Participants consistently rated the trainers and training topics excellent.  One participant commented that “Learning is fun with [Ateneo-SEDPI]!” Trainers include Ateneo de Manila University’s lecturers and SEDPI’s top management, Vincent Rapisura, Edwin Salonga, and Emilenn Kate Sacdalan, and SEDPI Program Officers, Florence Adviento, Enid Madarcos, and Denise Subido.

Twenty two participants from three different microfinance institutions participated in the “Delinquency Management” training course held on July 5-7, 2012 in Quezon City. The training explains different preventive and remedial strategies in managing delinquency in MFIs. The training event emphasizes the adaptation of a holistic approach in managing delinquency that involves the commitment of all stakeholders within the organization.

Kasagana Ka Development Center (KDCI) is one of the training hubs of the ADMU-SEDPI Microfinance Capacity Building Program. Through the training hubs microfinance trainings are made available nationwide all year round. The training was conducted alongside the officers from KDCI as part of their skills enhancement. KDCI’s Chief Operating Officer, Judy Joven; Training Officer, Norman Los Añes; Senior Area Manager, Dexter Flores; and Cluster Manager, Mharra Ehim-Gange discussed the session on principles and methods of collection. Gauging from their experiences as field officers before, the trainers were able to discuss the principles well, giving examples and also sharing tips to the participants. The participants rated the guest trainers as excellent.

One of the MFIs that sent participants is SACRED based in Samar. Its Accounts Manager, Agnes Bautista said, “the training was very helpful and that they would be using their recently-acquired knowledge once they get back on field.” Ms. Teresa Saliling, Area Manager of SACRED, also added, “we learned that the MFI is responsible for delinquency, not the clients”. Citing their MFI as an example, she said that they would make changes in their operations in order to improve delinquency.

SEDPI’s program officers Enid Kathleen Madarcos and Denise Subido lead the delivery of the training. Overall, the training and the trainers were rated excellent and were well-received.

Two training events were conducted in Cebu City on June 18-23, 2012 under the Ateneo-SEDPI Microfinance Capacity Building Program. The trainings were held in partnership with Community Rural Bank of Catmon, SEDPI’s training hub partner in Cebu. Two courses were delivered: Delinquency Management and Character and Capacity-Based Lending. A total of 20 participants from 7 organizations attended the trainings, including participants from Shining Light Care Center in Singapore and Cambodia’s Ministry of Finance.

The Delinquency Management training tackles delinquency, one of the major challenges that microfinance institutions face. The course enables participants to understand delinquency from various perspectives and learn how to measure it using international standards. Various delinquency management strategies were discussed, with particular emphasis on the importance of using a combination of preventive and curative strategies involving different aspects of MFI operations.

On the other hand, the course on Character and Capacity-Based Lending provided the participants with information on microfinance methodologies and lending approaches. The training focused on developing practical skills for character and capacity-based lending. Throughout the training, participants were given various client selection tools which are useful for microfinance practitioners. Workshops were also conducted to enable participants to identify policy gaps and craft recommendations.

The trainings, which were conducted by two program officers: Ms. Florence Adviento and Ms. Cherryl Si, were well-received by the participants. According to Mr. Kim Seng Tan, Executive Director of Shining Light Care Center, “[The two trainings] are the most informative courses I have ever come across and were expertly taught by both Florence and Cherryl. [I] strongly recommend [them] to others who are interested in microfinance.”

On June 18 – 23, 2012, ADMU-SEDPI conducted two trainings on “Fundamentals and Principles of Microfinance” and “Delinquency Management.” The trainings were delivered through the ADMU-SEDPI training hub in Bacolod, Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation (NWTF). A total of 30 middle management officers from various microfinance institutions attended the trainings.

NWTF is the first training hub of SEDPI outside of Metro Manila, with over 245,000 members. It has branches all over the Visayas region and Palawan. Among the products and services they offer are social credit programs under their flagship projects Dungganon and Kasanag, microfinance banking through the Dungganon Bank, Inc., and IT consulting services through the DO-IT Foundation, Inc.

The microfinance training events were conducted to enable NWTF’s middle management staff to complete the requirements for the AdMU Diploma on Microfinance. The trainings are two of the 33 training courses ADMU-SEDPI offers.

The first training explained the principles and methodologies in microfinance. Nelson Panelo, a participant from the Rural Bank of Manapla, said that the training made him understand microfinance more and that he would apply his learnings to the rural bank. On the other hand, the second training addressed the microfinance institution’s challenges in combating delinquency. Participants consistently rated the trainers excellent due to their ability to simulate delinquency problems and clearly explain the methods to address delinquency. Among the trainers who delivered the trainings were SEDPI’s Program Manager, Ms. Emilenn Kate D.S. Sacdalan, and Mr. Romeo V. Arahan, Jr., a program officer of SEDPI.

NWTF and SEDPI will offer two training events in microfinance. These are Financial Analysis and Market-Based Product Design and Development, on October 15 – 20, 2012 in Bacolod City.