Beyond Microcredit

A Wholistic Approach to Poverty Eradication

July 29 to 30, 2010 at the Apo View Hotel, Davao City, Philippines

AGENDA
Organized by the
Day 1: 29 July, Thursday
Opening

8:00 – 9:00 Registration

Microfinance Council
9:00 – 10:00 • National Anthem of the Philippines, Inc.
• Opening Prayer
• Welcome Remarks
Fr. Arnel Celis, President, Mindanao Microfinance Council
• Keynote Speech
Ruben de Lara, President, Microfinance Council of the Philippines (MCPI)
• Message from the Guest Speaker Mindanao Microfinance
Elizabeth Littlefield
Littlefield*, Chief Executive Officer, Consultative Group to Assist Council, Inc.
the Poorest (CGAP)

10:00 – 10:30 Coffee Break

With support from

Plenary Session 1:: Client Protection in Microfinance
[Facilitator: Christopher Tan]
Financial services have the power to help people improve their lives, sometimes dramatically so.
However, if offered carelessly or used improperly, financial services – especially credit – can also
cause harm. This session will tackle client protection in microfinance,
microfinance, and will share how important
it is for microfinance institutions to simply “do no harm.”

10:30 – 10:50 Multiple Borrowings among Microfinance Clients

Erwin Tiongson,, PhD*,
PhD Assistant Professor, Asian Institute of Management

Today, we are seeing a Philippine microfinance sector that is characterized as

highly competitive, particularly in urban areas where a number of microfinance
institutions compete for the same segment of the market. While competition
should bring with it po
positive impact on the target market, there are concerns
about some negative effects on clients, particularly when it brings about over-
over
indebtedness and default. This session will present a survey of literature oon
multiple borrowings among microfinance clientsclients and how it has affected
microfinance sectors in other countries.

10:50 – 11:10 The Importance of a Credit Bureau in Addressing Over-Indebtedness Issues

Fe B. Barin*, Chair, Securities and Exchange Commission

The head of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will discuss the value
and role of a credit information system in preventing over-indebtedness
over indebtedness and in
promoting the availability of high-quality
high quality credit information to enable
responsible lending and a more efficient and transparent marketplace.
marketpl

11:10 – 11:30 The Smart Campaign: Keeping Clients First in Microfinance

Robin Ratcliffe*, Campaign Director, Center for Financial Inclusion, ACCION
Beyond Microcredit
A Wholistic Approach to Poverty Eradication
July 29 to 30, 2010 at the Apo View Hotel, Davao City, Philippines

The Smart Campaign seeks to unite microfinance providers worldwide to develop

and implement standards for the appropriate treatment of low-income low income clients
based on six principles. The overall objective of the Campaign is for these
Organized by the
principles to become embedded within the fabric of the microfinance community
and for microfinance to be recognized as a strongly pro-consumer
pro consumer industry. Over
the last year, a consensus has emerged around six principle
principless that would comprise
the industry’s commitment to client protection: (1) (1) Avoidance of over- over
indebtedness; (2)2) Transparent pricing
pricing; (3)3) Appropriate collections practices;
practices (4) Microfinance Council
Ethical staff behavior;
behavior (5) Mechanisms for redress of grievances; (6) Privacy of of the Philippines, Inc.
client data. Beyond fostering adherence to these common principles, the
Campaign will develop a toolkit to help microfinance institutions incorporate the
principles into their
heir operations. It will also work towards certification standards
that set apart those institutions which have fully implemented pro-consumer
pro consumer
practices. The size of the mission is enormous, and collaboration is essential to
the Campaign’s success.
Mindanao Microfinance
Council, Inc.
11:30 – 12:00 Open Forum

12:00 – 1:30 Lunch Break

With support from

Plenary Session 2:: Beyond MicroCredit…Addressing the Vulnerabilities of the Poor
[Facilitator: Dr. Ma. Piedad Geron]
Beyond MicroCredit simply implies that microfinance institutions have gone beyond the provision
of loans and savings products and have explored other financial products and mechanisms to
strengthen risk protection for the poor. This session will present various initiatives that address the
vulnerabilities of the poor, including microinsuran
microinsurance
ce and disaster risk reduction management.

1:30 – 2:30 Concerted Initiatives for Microinsurance: Creating an Enabling Environment

Joselito Almario*, Director, National Credit Council – Department of Finance
Antonis Malagardis,, Program Manager, GTZ-MIPSS Office

In this session, Director Almario and Mr. Malagardis will share important
developments regarding microinsurance, particularly in light of the recent
launching of the National Strategy for Microinsurance that paves the way for the
development of an insurance market for the poor. The aims and thrusts of two
major projects on microinsurance will also be shared and discussed.

2:30 – 3:00 Disaster Risk Reduction Management and Microfinance

Rustico “Rusty” Biñas*,
Biñas Global Advisor on Disaster Risk Reduction, CORDAID

Disaster risk reduction strategies and risk management are approaches that seek
to build resilience and reduce vulnerability, and therefore they offer capacities to
support adaptation, in respect to coping with extreme events such as droughts,
floods and typhoons,
yphoons, as well as addressing longer-term
longer term issues such as ecosystem
degradation that increase vulnerability to these events. It is believed that MFIs
should also be involved in disaster
isaster risk reduction management in order to
deepen its response to this
th particular area of vulnerability of the poor whom
they serve.

3:00 – 3:30 Coffee Break

Beyond Microcredit
A Wholistic Approach to Poverty Eradication
July 29 to 30, 2010 at the Apo View Hotel, Davao City, Philippines

Plenary Session 3: Barriers and Responses to Bringing Microfinance to Difficult

Areas
[Host: Dan Songco] Organized by the
In this session, particular focus will be given to the poverty situation in Mindanao, and how both
geographic and armed conflict-related
related problems pose challenges to microfinance institutions in
terms of reaching poorer households and delivering microfinance services to them.. The panel of
discussants will include Mindanao-based
based microfinance institutions with experiences operating in
difficult areas, and experts
xperts who can give the poverty and socio
socio-economic
economic profile of Mindanao.
Microfinance Council
3:30 – 5:00 • Cantilan Bank of the Philippines, Inc.
Lt. Gen. William K. Hotchkiss III (Ret.)*,
(Ret.) President
• Ad Jesum Development Foundation, Inc.
Sr. Bernadette R. Dollete
Dollete*, Executive Director
• Mindanawon Initiative for Cultural Dialogue
Fr. Albert Alejo
Alejo*, Executive Director
• Mindanao Development Authority Mindanao Microfinance
Jesus Dureza*,, Chair Council, Inc.
• Kasanyangan Foundation, Inc. Center for Community Development
Rodolfo Quinday*,
Quinday President & CEO

5:00 End of Day 1

With support from

5:30 – 6:30pm
Meeting of Associations of Microfinance Institutions
(By invitation only)

7:00pm
Dinner (Open)
Recognition Night
Signing Ceremony: “Improving Financial Inclusion and Social Impact Toward
Food Security in Southeast Asia”
Beyond Microcredit
A Wholistic Approach to Poverty Eradication
July 29 to 30, 2010 at the Apo View Hotel, Davao City, Philippines

Day 2: 30 July, Friday

Registration & Networking
Organized by the
8:00 – 9:00 Registration
Ugnayan
This is an interactive networking platform - an opportunity for MFIs to know all
about emerging concepts, as well as new product and service offerings of
microfinance support organizations – investments, tools, systems, innovations
and technology. Microfinance Council
of the Philippines, Inc.
Session 4 (with Breakout Sessions): Mainstreaming Social Performance
Management
There is widespread recognition that social performance management needs to be integrated into
the overall performance management system of a microfinance institution. How to do this remains
a big challenge not only for MFIs, but for microfinance support organizations as well. Four
simultaneous breakout sessions will tackle SPM integration into various functioning
functioning units of a MFI Mindanao Microfinance
– human resource, management information system, operations and governance – and will present Council, Inc.
responses to the continuing challenge of operationalizing SPM.
9:00 – 10:15 Breakout Sessions:
1: Governance
Mila Mercado-Bunker
Bunker, Ahon sa Hirap, Inc. (ASHI) With support from
2: Human Resource
Prof. Juan Kanapi*,, Asian Institute of Management
3: Management Information System
Cristopher Lomboy*,, Grameen Foundation
Micol Pistelli,, The Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX)
4: Operations
Gilbert Maramba*, Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation (NWTF)
Rolando Victoria*,, Alalay sa Kaunlaran, Inc. (ASKI)
10:15 – 10:30 Coffee Break

Session 5 (with Breakout Sessions): Beyond Micro

Micro-Enterprise Financing:
Innovations in Microfinance
This session will demonstrate how microfinance has evolved beyond micro-enterprise
micro enterprise financing and
into a range of products and services that aim to respond to the poor’s evolving and specific needs
for financing. Four simultaneous breakout sessions will tackle tackle emerging innovations in
microfinance. These are value chain financing, health financing, agriculture microfinance, and
financing renewable energy.
10:30 – 12:00 Breakout Sessions:
1: Value Chain Financing
Marian Boquiren*, Strategic
S Development Cooperation - Asia
Jerry Pacturan*, Philippine Development Assistance Programme
2: Financing Fisheries
Gil Adora*, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
3: Housing Microfinance
Ignacito Alvizo*, Enterprise Bank
Ruth Callanta*, Center for Community Transformation
4: Financing Renewable Energy
Mario Marasigan*, Department of Energy
Ricardo Torres*, Peace & Equity Foundation
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch Break
Beyond Microcredit
A Wholistic Approach to Poverty Eradication
July 29 to 30, 2010 at the Apo View Hotel, Davao City, Philippines

Plenary Session 6: Fostering Collaboration and Partnership Amidst Competition

[Host: Meliza Agabin] Organized by the
The microfinance sector in the Philippines is growing significantly competitive. In a highly
competitive market, players attempt to get their share of the market – successfully for some, but
not quite for others. In this session, key players in the sector will talk about competition, how it is
affecting their institution, as well as their clients, and how issues around competition can in fact
pave the way for meaningful collaboration and partnership for the sake of poverty alleviation
goals. Microfinance Council
of the Philippines, Inc.
1:00 – 2:00 • Simbag sa Pag-asenso, Inc.
Fr. Jose Victor Lobrigo
Lobrigo*, Chairman
• Center for Agriculture and Rural Development – Mutually Reinforcing
Institutions
Dr. Jaime Aristotle B. Alip
Alip*, Managing Director
• Taytay sa Kauswagan, Inc. Mindanao Microfinance
Angel L. de Leon, Jr.
Jr.*, Executive Director Council, Inc.
• Green Bank
Joseph Omar Andaya*,
Andaya Chairman & President

With support from

Closing
2:00 – 2:30 Distribution of Conference Materials
Raffle
Closing Remarks
Jeffrey Ordoñez, Executive Director, Mindanao Microfinance Council (MMC)
Lalaine Joyas, Executive Director, Microfinance Council of the Philippines (MCPI)

3:00 – 5:00pm
Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. (MCPI)
Annual General Meeting & Board of Trustees Election

* Speaker to be confirmed.