2007 Philippine Benchmarks

The 2007 benchmark data represent 50 Philippine MFIs including 25 NGOs, 23 rural banks, and 2 thrift banks. The benchmarks were prepared by the Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. (MCPI) in collaboration with the Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX), the leading business information provider for the microfinance industry. The account reclassifications, adjustments, and standardized ratios are based on international standards used by the MIX.

MCPI Performance Report 2006

The Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. performance report on outreach and loan portfolio in 2006 of the 33 council members having retail microfinance services.

Social Performance Management
(by: Lalaine Joyas)

The Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. was one of the presenters during the Asian Forum for Solidarity Economy-Microfinance Workshop last October 17-20, 2007 at the UP Bahay ng Alumni in Quezon City, Philippines.  MCPI shared about Social Performance Management -- the Imp-Act Consortium, SPM Promotional and Strategy Workshops.

Documentation on the 2nd Agri-Microfinance Roundtable Discussion
(by: Eo Masilungan)

The Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. conducted the 2nd roundtable discussion (RTD) on the Agri-Microfinance Research Project last July 11, 2007 at the Astoria Plaza, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. The discussion was facilitated by Prof. Ronald Chua of the Asian Institute of Management. The Agri-Microfinance Research Project is a Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. and Asian Institute of Management collaboration.

Documentation on the Agri-Microfinance Roundtable Discussion
(by: Eo Masilungan)

The Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. conducted a roundtable discussion (RTD) on the Agri-Microfinance Research Project last March 8, 2007 at the Discovery Suites, Pasig City. The discussion was facilitated by Prof. Ronald Chua of the Asian Institute of Management. The Agri-Microfinance Research Project is a Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. and Asian Institute of Management collaboration.

2005 Philippines Benchmarking Report

Benchmarking Philippine Microfinance 2005 explores the financial and operational performance data for 45 Philippine microfinance institutions. The report also draws on trends data and background information on the historical and policy environment for microfinance. Moreover, the report also examines the dichotomy in performance of the two major players in Philippine microfinance – NGOs and rural banks. These different types of institutions practice two broadly different strategies in the quest for sustainability. The report benefited greatly from data collection and analytical support from Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines-Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (RBAP-MABS) Program.

Philippine Country Profile on Microfinance

The present microfinance country profile present a review of the microfinance sector in the Philippines, and constitute a new contribution to the foundation of the Asia Resource Center for Microfinance, after the previously completed profiles on Nepal, Pakistan, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. This profile is based on a country study undertaken during 2006 in the Philippines by the Microfinance Council of the Philippines, under the supervision of TSPI Development Corporation. The study was commissioned by the BWTP network and funded by Citigroup.

Country profiles only constitute the foundations of a comprehensive regional information dissemination strategy undertaken by the BWTP Network (http://www.bwtp.org). As such, the country profiles are based on the on going 'interactive monitoring' of the microfinance sector in each of the countries surveyed, and will be upgraded and improved over time through the valuable feedback and information received from practitioners.

2004 Philippines Benchmarking Report

The 2004 Philippines Benchmarking Report brings together data on financial performance and outreach measures for 25 leading MFIs and compares these with results for 68 microfinance providers throughout Asia. The report also compares the performance of Philippine MFIs with that of their local and regional peers in areas ranging from outreach and sustainability, to access to external finance and operational efficiency.  The report is the result of collaboration between the Microfinance Information eXchange (MIX) and the Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. (MCPI). The report also benefited greatly from data collection support from Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines-Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (RBAP-MABS) Program and the Credit Union Empowerment and Strengthening (CUES) Project.

MCPI Network Capacity Assessment

In order to improve MCPI's services to members and to provide a basis for future plans, the Board of Trustees requested an external evaluator to assess MCPI's performance and its capacity to undertake its stated mandates. The assessment made use of the Network Capacity Assessment Tool (NCAT) and the Membership Satisfaction Survey. Both instruments were developed by the Small Enterprise Education and Promotion (SEEP) Network, an internationally known network based in Washington, D.C. The final assessment report can be read or downloaded in this section.

Assessment of the Research and Capacity Building for Product Development in Microfinance Project

This report is an assessment of the Research and Capacity Building for Product Development in Microfinance Project, an undertaking funded by Inter-Church Organization for Development Cooperation (ICCO) based in Netherlands. The main objective of the project is to strengthen the capacity of MFIs to design and develop new and improved financial products for poor clients.

ImpAct Project - CARD

This presentation material on the results of the ImpAct Project initiated at CARD was prepared by Ms. Aniceta Alip, director for research at CARD NGO. The material includes a framework on Social Performance Monitoring useful to MFIs that desire to track and manage their social objectives. The material was presented to MCPI members on May 20, 2005 during the special general meeting held at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

SPI: Its Relevance and Usefulness

This is a presentation material on the use of social performance indicators (SPI)  to measure social performance of MFIs. The material was presented by Mr. Benjamin R. Quinones, Jr. to MCPI members during the special general meeting held on May 20, 2005 at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas .

Documentation of Product Development Processes in Selected MFIs – Integrative Report (by Clarence G. Dingcong)

This report integrates the case studies on four MFIs that have undertaken innovative and successful microfinance products specifically targeted for poor households. This report looks into the effectiveness of these products, the processes involved in developing the product, and factors that led to the success of the products designed for the poor.

Documentation of Product Development Processes in Selected MFIs – Review of Related Literature (by Magdalena S. Casuga)

This paper traces the development of microfinance products in recent years following the success of the Grameen Bank. The review is intended to serve as a background for the project entitled, “Documentation of Successful Microfinance Products” undertaken by the Microfinance Council of the Philippines. Key developments in microfinance in the Philippines and in other countries are presented based on studies and documents obtained by the Microfinance Council.

Documentation of Product Development Processes in Selected MFIs – The CARD MBA Microinsurance Experience
(A Case Study)

This case study presents the experience of the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) in implementing innovative microinsurance products to meet the demands of poor clientele. It is focused on helping poor families cope with risk factors associated with death, disability, and old age.

Documentation of Product Development Processes in Selected MFIs – Rural Bank of Sto. Tomas SUKI Microfinance Program
(A Case Study)

This case study presents Rural Bank of Sto. Tomas and its SUKI microfinance product. The important factors considered by the SUKI loan are the individual’s character and the capacity of the business and household to repay the loan.

Documentation of Product Development Processes in Selected MFIs – United Sugarcane Planters of Davao Savings and Credit Cooperative (A Case Study)

This is a case study presenting United Sugarcane Planters of Davao Savings and Credit Cooperative (USPD SCC) and the commitment of its Board, management, and staff to improve and deliver quality products and services to its members. USPD SCC has its eyes focused on long-term sustainability and with this comes the challenges of competition and expansion.

Institutionalizing Impact-Monitoring and Assessment of Microfinance: Experiences from the Philippines
(by: Lalaine M. Joyas and Aniceta R. Alip)

This article reports on how the microfinance organization CARD (Center for Agriculture and Rural Development) has responded to the opportunity provided by the Imp-Act program to raise consciousness of how indicators of client impact can be monitored and assessed. It reflects the realization that IA is not only a question of employing the tools and methodologies, but is about thinking on the context and circumstances in which the assessment is to be conducted.