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.”