In September 2008, the Mindanao Microfinance Council organized the 1st Microfinance Best Practices Forum (MBPF) in cooperation with the Visayas Association of Microfinance Institutions and in Partnership with the People's Credit and Finance Corporation and PinoyME.
The MBPF intends to bring together microfinance practitioners from all over the Philippines, and the various stakeholders in microfinance in one venue to discuss issues, topics of common interest, and successful practices in the implementation of microfinance and poverty alleviation programs.
Its objective is to bring people together to share information and resource linkages that will help microfinance managers in developing strategies and improving microfinance practice in the Philippines.
The 1st MBPF was about "Microfinance in Times of Crisis" and was held in Cebu City, Philippines on September 20, 2008. Resource speakers included Dr. Cayetano Paderanga who gave participants a briefing on the economic condition of the country and a background on the US financial crisis; Dr. Ana Maria Tabunda of Pulse Asia shared their findings on the coping behavior of the poor in times of crisis; and Mr. Joey Bermudez, former Chinatrust Bank president who explained to participants how the current financial crisis can affect the Philippine banking sector and how MFIs can prepare for a financial crisis.
The 2nd MBPF was held in Davao City on June 16, 2009. The event was once more co-convened with VAMI in partnership with PCFC and with support from SMART Communications, Nationlink, BDO, Land Bank of the Philippines and Country Bankers Life Insurance Corp.
The topic for the 2nd MBPF was about "Effective Governance and Management Practices". The keynote speaker for the forum was ABS-CBN Bayan Foundation President and former Dean of the Asian Institute of Management, Dr. Eduardo Morato, Jr. who shared with the audience his thoughts on how microfinance institutions can achieve "VSOP Fit" (vision-strategy-organization-people fit) in order to improve the effectiveness of organizations in achieving its objectives.
With the success of the Microfinance Best Practices Forum, MMC shall continue to work with other Philippine microfinance associations and MF service providers and funders to provide microfinance practitioners, in Mindanao and in other parts of the Philippines, the opportunity to learn and share best practices among each other. Through this program, MMC is able to fulfill its purpose of helping the microfinance sector improve the delivery of services to low income families most especially in Southern Philippines. Trully, by working TOGETHER, we can END POVERTY.
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