To support Rang-ay Bank’s plan to expand its microfinance services, the USAID-supported Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines – Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (RBAP-MABS) Program provided the senior officers of the bank with briefings on different program initiatives that are aligned to the interests of Rang-ay Bank on August 6, 2011. Aside from the briefing, MABS helped the bank come up with microfinance services expansion strategy and provided the bank with an updated assessment of its mobile phone banking (MPB) services initiative.
Rang-ay Bank renews efforts to expand services to microenterprises
August 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Visions on Mobile Banking & Mobile Money
August 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Four rural bank presidents share their views and visions on mobile banking and mobile money using the Globe GCASH platform in the Philippines. Click the following links to watch the videos:
Conditional Cash Transfer Improves lives
July 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
More than a thousand people waited in line to receive their second cash payment from the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Tabogon, Cebu last July 26, 2011. Green Bank, a participating bank of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-supported Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines-Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (RBAP-MABS) Program, assisted the release of PhP 1.2 million pesos (US$30,000) financial assistance through GCASH Remit.
Representatives from Sri Lanka and Thailand visit RBAP to learn about Mobile Phone Banking
July 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (MABS) in coordination with Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) on its International Study Visit Program once again conducted a lecture on Mobile Phone Banking (MPB) with its partners from different parts of the globe. Participants last July 13-14, 2011 were from Thailand’s Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) as well as representatives from People’s Bank and Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
1st Valley Bank Highlights its Mobile Banking Services
July 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The officers and staff of 1st Valley Bank Zamboanga Del Norte branch welcomed officials of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) composed of Director Andrew Plitt (ASIA/Special Project Office), Myra Stokes and Teresita Espenilla of USAID/Philippines on July 20, 2011. On hand to provide the briefing on the USAID-supported MABS Program was Regional Manager for Mindanao Anthony Petalcorin, while 1st Valley Bank officer Ms. Emily Enad, 1st Valley Bank Vice-President for Risk Management provided the guests a look at how the bank is implementing the different initiatives under the MABS program, especially with regard to mobile phone banking.
Representatives from Venezuela and Ecuador visit the Philippines to learn about Mobile Financial Services
July 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The USAID-supported Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines – Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (RBAP-MABS) program in coordination with RBAP International Study Visit Program once again organized a study tour on Mobile Phone Banking for UTIBA, the supplier of Globe’s GCASH platform and representatives from Digitel Venezuela and Grupo Mas, Coca Cola, and DIPOR from Ecuador. Apart from visiting RBAP, the group also visited G-Xchange Inc (GXI), the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), and GM Bank from July 18-20, 2011.
Mobile Phone Banking and New Technologies: Providing New Channels to Serve Clients Better, Faster, and 24/7
July 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Alternative ways of delivering banking services are changing the way rural banks are servicing their clients. Not only that, these innovations are also helping the Philippine Government reach families at the bottom of the economic pyramid.
During the 2011 RBAP-MABS National Roundtable Conference, rural banks shared how technology has been useful to them in expanding microfinance services. As of May 2011, more than 160,000 rural bank clients have processed more than PhP10 billion (US$220 million) in mobile phone banking transactions via the GCASH platform.
Banking practices have been evolving and expanding coverage geographically, as well as in terms of network, client base, and products and services being offered to clients. Mobile phone banking services were first introduced to rural banks through an effort promoted by the RBAP-MABS program back in 2004.
RBAP-MABS reviews RB Gattaran’s management information system and potential for mobile phone banking services
June 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Located in Cagayan about 242 miles away from Manila, the Rural Bank of Gattaran serves over 50,000 clients in Northeastern Luzon. With the strategic location of its branches including one near a famous tourist spot, Sta. Ana, the bank sees the potential for mobile phone banking services in its areas of operation.
The bank’s current remittance facility is servicing up to 40 transactions daily, totalling P5,000 – P500,000 ($116-$11,630) for each of the bank’s three branches.
Ms. Roxana Baldetti of the Guatemalan Congress visits RBAP for mobile phone banking
June 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A well-known member of the Congress of Guatemala, Ms. Roxana Baldetti, visited the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) on June 17, 2011 to better understand how the mobile phone banking initiative through the rural banks has worked out in the Philippines, particularly in reaching out to more remote areas.
Guatemala is a country with a population of about 13.8 million – over 75 percent of which live below the poverty line. Poverty is even more severe among the rural and indigenous populations. (Source:Encyclopedia of the Nations)
Aiming to reach out to these people, Ms. Baldetti has been playing a key role in the approval of a conditional cash transfer program in Guatemala. The social benefits cash grants would be distributed electronically as mobile money by Claro Americas, with the funds to be managed by Banco de Desarrollo Rural. Ms. Baldetti shared that to promote transparency in Guatemala’s direct government cash transfer program, the information on recipients of cash aid will be accessible to anyone.
Mongolia delegation studies Philippine mobile phone banking and mobile money platforms
May 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Seventeen (17) delegates from the Bank of Mongolia, the Finance Regulatory Board of Mongolia, the Information, Communications Technology, and Post Authority, along with other Mongolia government officials participated in the RBAP International Visits Program on May 16-20. This was to learn first-hand about the uses of mobile money and mobile phone banking in the Philippines.
Mr. John Owens, Chief of Party of the USAID-supported RBAP-MABS program, introduced the delegates to the uses of mobile money and mobile phone banking practiced by Philippine rural banks. He also shared the latest updates in the Philippine rural banking industry, as well as how mobile money and mobile phone banking are helping in the expansion of banking services to reach far-flung areas in the country. He shared how this approach and other principles practiced in the Philippines can be also applied in Mongolia. He also discussed how the Philippines’ excellent regulatory system has helped in the success of mobile phone banking.