On April 25, 2012, the Social Enterprise Development Partnerships Inc. (SEDPI) formalized its partnership with Alalay Sa Kaunlaran Incorporated (ASKI). Mr. Rolando B. Victoria, the executive director of ASKI, signed the memorandum of agreement with Mr. Mariel Vincent Rapisura, SEDPI’s President. The partnership, which has a term of one year, establishes ASKI as an ADMU-SEDPI training hub in central Luzon.
The collaboration aims to bring capacity building closer to microfinance practitioners in central and northern Luzon. Mr. Victoria mentioned that this partnership is an opportunity for ASKI to develop its second liners. He said, “We explore these kinds of partnerships to build and prepare our staff for their future role in the organization”. To this, Mr. Rapisura added that, “the trainings will equip the participants with knowledge and readily applicable tools that will result to better operations and institutional policies”. ASKI now employs 883 staff. These employees cater to an estimate of 100, 500 stakeholders in 13 provinces in central and northern Luzon
Starting May 2012, microfinance courses will be regularly offered in the hub. These courses can lead to a diploma in microfinance conferred by the Ateneo De Manila University.
Also present in the event were Mary Jane Macapagal, ASKI’s Director for Research and Training; Jerecho Bernardino, ASKI’s Manager for External Training; Emilenn Kate Sacdalan, SEDPI’s Program Manager; and Enid Kathleen Madarcos, SEDPI’s Program Officer.
SEDPI and ASKI are positive that the partnership will help achieve a shared vision of economic empowerment for the poor.