State program lends P452M to farmers, fisherfolk

State program lends P452M to farmers, fisherfolk

THE AGRICULTURAL Credit Policy Council (ACPC), an agency attached to the
Agriculture department, released over P450 million in loans in the first
semester through its umbrella financing program, it said in a statement
on Tuesday.

Secifically, ACPC said that its Agro-Industry Modernization Credit and
Financing Program (AMCFP) lent a total of P452.4 million to 10,288
agri-fishery stakeholders nationwide in the period.

The amount lent in the same period last year was not readily available
yesterday.

The AMCFP was formed through Republic Act No. 8435 or the Agriculture
and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997.

Implementation of the program, which funds agri-fishery financing
initiatives of various financial institutions, began in 2003.

COMPONENTS

As of this year, ACPC said, programs that have been funded through the
AMCFP are the Cooperative Banks Agri Lending Program (CBAP), the
Agri-Microfinance Program (AMP), the Cooperatives Agri Lending Program
(CALP) and the Sikat Saka Program.

Of the loans generated in the first half, the CBAP released the biggest
amount at P400.9 million, which the ACPC said would finance projects of
6,291 farmers and fisherfolk.

The CBAP provides funding support to eligible cooperative banks for the
expansion of their small farm and fishing loan portfolios through
special time deposits, explained the ACPC.

Loans for agricultural production or microfinance accessed through this
program are subject to interest rates not more than 15% per annum.

A total of P45.6 million, meanwhile, was released through the AMP to
3,808 farmers and fisherfolk in the same period.

ACPC said that the AMP, a joint program of the agency and the People's
Credit and Finance Corp. (PCFC), supports accredited microfinance
institutions to provide agriculture-related micro loans to individual
borrowers coming from small farm or fishing households.

The program also gives priority to areas hit by natural calamities.

The CALP, which is a partnership between the Agriculture department and
the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), lent a total of about
P4.7 million to 159 farmers and fishers in the first semester.

"Launched in June of 2011, the CALP provides a revolving credit line for
cooperatives for the purpose of strengthening their lending services for
their farmer and fisherfolk-members," said ACPC.

Lastly, the Sikat Saka program, which is implemented by the Agriculture
department in partnership with the Land Bank of the Philippines
(Landbank), lent P1.25 million to 30 rice farmers over the same six months.

The Sikat Saka program, set up just last January, lends to small palay
farmers in support of the Agriculture department's food staple
sufficiency program.

It is designed to give farmers who are members of irrigator's
associations to borrow from Landbank.

"Under this scheme, farmers will enjoy an interest rate of only 15% per
annum for the first two cycles. For succeeding cycles, the interest may
further go down by 1% per cycle provided the borrower consistently
repays on time," the statement read.

"The priority provinces of the Sikat Saka Program are Isabela, Nueva
Ecija, Iloilo and North Cotabato."

MORE LOANS SEEN THIS SEMESTER

ACPC Executive Director Jovita M. Corpuz said in a telephone interview
yesterday that the AMCFP, since the start of its implementation in 2003,
has already provided some P1.361 billion in loans to 84,164 farmers and
fisherfolk as of June this year.

"We expect the AMCFP's performance to peak in the second semester as we
continue to further adjust our program guidelines with guidance from
our… ACPC Governing Council members from the DA (Department of
Agriculture), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of Finance,
National Economic and Development Authority and the Department of Budget
and Management," said Ms. Corpuz.

The official also noted that the onset of the wet season in the second
half could likewise raise borrowing in the agri-fishery sector.

"AMCFP loans for 2012 is estimated to reach P1.08 billion," ACPC Deputy
Executive Director Magdalena S. Casuga said in a text message. --
Bettina Faye V. Roc

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CARLOS ANI - International Microfinance Consultant - SEEDFINANCE Corporation Chairman
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No rice crisis repeat -- Alcala

No rice crisis repeat -- Alcala

A SEVERE DROUGHT in the United States is unlikely to affect the
Philippines and could even open up export opportunities, a Cabinet
official claimed.

"We don't have a problem in our current supply of rice or corn,"
Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said on Friday following renewed
fears of a global food crisis given a grains price surge.

The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) earlier this
month warned of a repeat of the 2007-2008 global crisis, noting that the
US drought had pushed corn and soybean prices to record highs. The Group
of 20 leading economies last week said they were prepared to convene an
emergency meeting to address soaring prices, which are also being
pressured by poor Russian output.

Mr. Alcala, however, claimed that the Philippines, including Asia, was
better prepared this time than in 2008, when rising rice prices led to
long queues for state-subsidized supplies. The crisis led to the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which includes major importer
the Philippines and exporters Thailand and Vietnam, to bolster food
security.

"Asian countries have a large buffer stock of rice. The Philippines also
has enough rice in its current inventory," Mr. Alcala said.

The National Food Authority last week said that as of the first week of
August, the country's rice stock was enough to meet 76-78 days of demand.

Tightening corn supply in the international market, said Mr. Alcala,
could also present opportunities for the Philippines.

"The international market for corn will likely shoot up, which would be
good for our local farmers because this could mean we may be able to
export," he said.

"We hope this could also inspire them (farmers) to plant this coming
crop season so we can increase our stocks."

Higher global wheat prices, Mr. Alcala said, might also benefit Filipino
farmers by prompting millers to buy locally produced corn.

--
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CARLOS ANI - International Microfinance Consultant - SEEDFINANCE Corporation Chairman
Mailing address: PO Box 90 UPLB Los Banos Laguna, Philippines 4031
Emails: carlosani@gmail.com , carlosani@seedfinance.net
Landline Phone: +63495010127 (PLDT)
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Websites:
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SEEDFINANCE Corporation - http://www.seedfinance.net
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Calamansi juice chosen in community project

Calamansi juice chosen in community project


CALAMBA, MISAMIS OCCIDENTAL -- A women's organization in this town is
promoting ready-to-drink calamansi juice, as part of its initiative to
address poverty in the community through assistance from the regional
office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE-10).

Ezel T. Villanueva, Association of Barangay Council president in this
town, has initiated the project for additional income to her
constituents specifically the women's group Kababayen-an sa Southwestern
Poblacion Nagkahiusa, or Kaspon.

Ms. Villanueva said calamansi juice is saleable because of its health
benefits. Kaspon is also targeting neighboring towns as its initial market.

Johnson G. Canete, DoLE-10 regional director, said the regional office
has released P116,000 to the project proponent. DoLE has a funding
program, he said, that supports women's sector livelihood projects in
Northern Mindanao.

"Using one's resources to good use and increasing it a hundredfold is
[the objective] of DoLE's livelihood grant that contributes to the
government's national agenda of reducing poverty," Mr. Canete said,
adding that this will be DoLE's early Christmas gift to the town
especially the women's sector.

Kaspon has been operating since last year through the help of the
Philippine Australian Livelihood Sustainability Program, which provided
the project's starting capital.

Kaspon President Lilian T. Jumalon said that the additional income,
especially with the help from DoLE, could put food on the members'
tables and send their children to school.

Ms. Jumalon said the project was viable and could be sustained since raw
materials are abundantly produced in the town as well as in nearby
municipalities of Baliangao in Misamis Occidental and Rizal in Lanao del
Norte.

In 2011, the research and social outreach unit of Xavier University's
College of Agriculture drafted a plan to develop a training module
consisting of steps and guidelines in the production of crops that could
withstand climate change. Among these crops are calamansi and other
short-gestation citrus fruits that could address the farmers' needs for
additional income.

This plan was developed when the university hosted the first Calamansi
Forum in Cagayan de Oro City during the same year where various concerns
on the development of the region's calamansi industry surfaced during
discussions with leaders of farmers' groups and representatives of
government line agencies.

The issues raised were dealt mainly with infrastructure support such as
farm-to-market roads, soil analysis and testing, policy and
organizational support, job opportunities for local communities, wastage
reduction from calamansi harvests, and support technologies available.
-- Nef T. Luczon

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CARLOS ANI - International Microfinance Consultant - SEEDFINANCE Corporation Chairman
Mailing address: PO Box 90 UPLB Los Banos Laguna, Philippines 4031
Emails: carlosani@gmail.com , carlosani@seedfinance.net
Landline Phone: +63495010127 (PLDT)
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Cash grant to poor reaching target, says WB

Cash grant to poor reaching target, says WB

THE GOVERNMENT'S cash subsidy program for indigent families has been
found successful in achieving targets for improving maternal health care
and child education, according to the World Bank (WB).

In a press conference yesterday in Makati City, the World Bank, citing
results of its Impact Evaluation on the conditional cash transfer, said
the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is on track to achieving
its social objectives.

"The Pantawid Program is really on track to achieve its goals," said
Junko Onishi, monitoring and evaluation specialist of the international
agency.

In a statement, the Washington-based lender also said preliminary
results suggest that the program has impact on the target beneficiaries.

Under the subsidy scheme, each family living below the poverty line is
given up to P1,400 per month or P500 per mother and P300 each for up to
three children, provided that children aged 3-14 years old must attend
at least 85% of classes, avail of regular visits to health centers and
receive vaccines.

Mothers must also undergo pre and postnatal care. The benefits are given
to recipient families for five years.

The beneficiaries are identified under the National Household Targeting
System for Poverty Reduction of the Department of Social Welfare and
Development.

The government allotted P39.445 billion for the program this year to
benefit 3.105 million families, up from 2.32 million beneficiaries last
year. Covered families is expected to rise to 3.8 million in 2013 with a
budget of P44.256 billion.

The World Bank has commissioned the Social Weather Stations to conduct a
three-wave survey for the 4Ps' assessment, the first of which involved
1,418 households last year.

The program has so far covered 704 households for over two years. Areas
covered by the survey are Lanao del Norte, Mountain Province, Negros
Oriental and Occidental Mindoro.

INITIAL RESULTS

Initial results showed that the enrollment rates in preschool and
elementary of recipient households are 76% and 98%, respectively, while
those of non-beneficiaries are 65% and 93%, respectively.

Children from recipient families are also more likely to regularly
attend school with a rate of 98%, five points higher than the rate for
children whose families are not covered by the cash grant.

Children are also more likely to avail of health services such as
de-worming and receive supplements.

It was also found that pregnant women empowered under the program are
more likely to receive prenatal and postnatal services than
non-beneficiaries.

Recipient families also spend 36% more on education and 33% more on
medicine and medical services, according to the survey.

While the preliminary findings show positive results, Ms. Onishi said
that the full extent of the program's effect on the "poorest of the
poor" is yet to be seen when the final results are released in December.

"When the analysis is completed, we will know the full spectrum of the
impacts the program brings as well as the challenges for future
improvement," she said in the press statement.

FARM FROM OVER

Meanwhile, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon "Dinky" J. Soliman welcomed
the results, saying that the fight against poverty is far from over.

"The challenge to the government is to sustain these improvements in the
lives of the families from the program," she said in the same statement,
noting the need to reach the target 4.3 million poor households by 2016
and for recipients to continue complying with the grant conditions.

"Toward this end, a coordinated approach is necessary where national
government agencies involved in poverty reduction coordinate their
activities and interventions to maximize government's investment in
human capital," said the Cabinet official.

Sought for comment on what aspects of the program can still be improved,
Ms. Soliman said during the press conference that the number of public
health care facilities such as maternity clinics should be increased.

"[We] should look at the supply side of health centers to ensure that
mothers and children are getting health services," she said.

The official also said that the department is in talks with
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan on the possibility
of extending the limit of age coverage for child beneficiaries to 18
from 14 years old, considering the two additional years in under the K
to 12 educational program.

"There is a strong clamor for that. It is something we need to look at
in relation to finance. That will need additional budget," she said.

INFORMAL SETTLERS look out from the windows of their homes in Manila.
More than two million people in Metro Manila, or roughly one-fifth of
the sprawling city's population, live in shanty towns. The urban blight
is worsening as the country's population continues to expand at one of
the fastest rates in the world and people from rural areas head to
Manila and other cities in search of work. -- AFP


--
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CARLOS ANI - International Microfinance Consultant - SEEDFINANCE Corporation Chairman
Mailing address: PO Box 90 UPLB Los Banos Laguna, Philippines 4031
Emails: carlosani@gmail.com , carlosani@seedfinance.net
Landline Phone: +63495010127 (PLDT)
Cellphone Numbers: +639152919580 (Globe) and +639328590859 (Sun)

Websites:
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http://phildevfinance.blogspot.com
Family website - http://www.anifamily.net
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Skype name: carlosaniph
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Dhaka Forecloses the Grameen Brand - - this maybe the beginning of the end of Grameen Bank

Dhaka Forecloses the Grameen Brand - this maybe the beginning of the end
of Grameen Bank

Bangladesh's government is taking over the pioneering microfinance bank,
just as its founder feared.

This article is found in
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444184704577588700270815144.html#articleTabs=article


By WILLIAM B. MILAM

For the past 18 months in Bangladesh, the specter of a government
takeover has haunted Grameen Bank and its founder, Nobel Prize winner
Muhammed Yunus. Many thought Mr. Yunus was imagining the threat, but
this month the Awami League government of Sheikh Hasina finally showed
its hand. Her cabinet decided to push the microfinance lender's elected
board of trustees aside and give power to the government-appointed
chairman to name a selection committee that will soon find a new
managing director.

The decision marks a new turn in a campaign to vilify Mr. Yunus, which
began last year when the government removed him from his long-time role
as managing director. Then it ginned up a controversy that micro lenders
were "loan sharks," when the opposite is true: These banks give poor
borrowers an alternative to usurious moneylenders.

This time, the cabinet impugned Mr. Yunus's honesty by asking questions
about whether he followed bank rules on tapping the bank's credit
facilities when he was managing director. It also alleges that he
wrongly received tax exemptions on his foreign earnings. Last week, it
opened a tax investigation.

Grameen Bank is important because it established the microfinance
model--banks that provide unsecured loans for poor women for investing
in income earning projects. It has been copied throughout the world and
inspired the phenomenal growth of micro finance. In 2006, both the Bank
and Yunus were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for, as the Nobel committee
put it, "their efforts to create economic and social development from
below." By giving the poor the ability to help themselves, it undermines
the culture of dependency on the government that ties the poor to
Bangladesh's political parties.

In May 2011, I visited Dhaka and talked at length with Mr. Yunus, whom I
have known since the early 1990s. He had been under attack by the Awami
League government for some time. Even after he was removed from his
position, he sought to ensure that the bank board could still elect his
successor without political interference. It now seems all but certain
that the bank he led to international renown will come under new management.

Enlarge Image

AFP/Getty Images
Muhammed Yunus.

Many Bangladeshis I respect told me then, and still think today, that
the Awami League is out to get Mr. Yunus by any means possible. The
politicians believe, wrongly, that he is a long-term threat to their
interests.

Many suspect that the root of the problem is that, when Bangladesh was
under a military caretaker government in 2007, Mr. Yunus's name was
briefly put forward in 2007 as a possible leader of a "third force" to
replace the two dysfunctional major political parties led by Ms. Hasina
and Khaleda Zia. Their personal animosity has made progress impossible.
He never volunteered this idea, but he didn't reject it at first either.
Nevertheless, this third party never took off.

In addition, most Bangladeshis say that Grameen Bank now provides
low-hanging fruit for what is perceived as a corrupt government.
Officials can loot the bank's substantial assets at will now. They can
also tap its customer base of women borrowers and turn them into a
serious vote bank by promises of loan reductions or write-offs.

World leaders need to take note of these perverse motivations in Dhaka
and condemn them, but they aren't doing so. I came back to Washington
after my 2011 visit feeling great foreboding about Grameen's future. The
South and Central Asian Bureau of the U.S. State Department, however,
did not share my concerns when I met with its officials. Their reaction
was tepid then. Now, more than a year later with news of the cabinet's
decision, I am told they are "working on it."

For all the laurels Mr. Yunus has received from the West, his strategy
to protect the bank he founded didn't work, partly because Western
governments failed him. In the 15 months since the attack on Grameen
began, the U.S. and others have let themselves be distracted by other
business and lulled into complacency by Ms. Hasina's waiting game.

Now it may be too late to save the bank. The U.S. is playing catch-up on
an issue on which it had an early warning. By this time, Prime Minister
Hasina is not inclined to listen to other governments and back off her
determined course. I am sure it will take more than words to deflect it.
The U.S. and European governments will have to threaten to cut off
bilateral assistance programs and other aid through multilateral
institutions like the World Bank.

Getting donors on the same page at such a late date will be a real
uphill battle, and given all the other pressing issues in South Asia is
a long shot. It is thus with a heavy heart that we must prepare for the
disappearance of the pioneer of microfinance and the marginalization of
its visionary founder.

Mr. Milam is a former U.S. ambassador to Bangladesh and a senior scholar
at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

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CARLOS ANI - International Microfinance Consultant - SEEDFINANCE Corporation Chairman
Mailing address: PO Box 90 UPLB Los Banos Laguna, Philippines 4031
Emails: carlosani@gmail.com , carlosani@seedfinance.net
Landline Phone: +63495010127 (PLDT)
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Palawan SMEs get funding

Palawan SMEs get funding

Details Published on Thursday, 23 August 2012 00:00

Focused on giving micro, small and medium enterprises equal chances at
funding sources, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas yesterday launched its
credit enhancement scheme for MSMEs to Palawan.

The Palawan Credit Surety Fund (CSF), 24th in the country, provides
access to no-collateral funding for the province's small enterprises. coll

The CSF is a credit enhancement scheme for micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSMEs) which are experiencing difficulty in obtaining loans
from the banks due to lack of acceptable collaterals, lack of credit
know-how and lack of credit track records.

The surety fund comes from the pooled cash contributions of
participating cooperatives, local government units and other partner
institutions.

Ten cooperatives in the province have joined the Palawan CSF with an
aggregate contribution of P2 million while the provincial government
pledged P2 million.

BSP said the Industrial Guarantee and Loan Fund, Development Bank of the
Philippines and Land Bank of the Philippines have also expressed strong
support to the CSF Program with their contribution pledges.

Various sectors are expected to benefit from this credit enhancement
scheme which also serves as an alternative lending window for MSMEs.

The program also integrates a training component to enhance the skills
of participating cooperatives in the areas of business plan preparation,
loan evaluation, risk management and accounting system.

Initiated in August 2008, the CSF is a fund created through the pooling
of cash contributions from participating cooperatives with an equivalent
counterpart contribution from the local government and donations from
partner institutions.

--
---------------------------------------------------------------------
CARLOS ANI - International Microfinance Consultant - SEEDFINANCE Corporation Chairman
Mailing address: PO Box 90 UPLB Los Banos Laguna, Philippines 4031
Emails: carlosani@gmail.com , carlosani@seedfinance.net
Landline Phone: +63495010127 (PLDT)
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Family website - http://www.anifamily.net
SEEDFINANCE Corporation - http://www.seedfinance.net
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Skype name: carlosaniph
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BSP eyes lending-rules change

BSP eyes lending-rules change

TUESDAY, 21 AUGUST 2012 20:16 JUN VALLECERA / REPORTER

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) would rather that some of the
mandatory sectoral loan allocations be stricken off the books to allow
for more efficient lending than is possible at present.

Such mandates as the so-called agri-agra lending law, the gross receipts
tax (GRT) or even the BSP's reserve requirement may be repealed or
recalibrated to allow the banks to lend to sectors where the economic
payback is greatest.

By dictating where bank funds are applied, the government goes against
the grain of effective financial intermediation where lending practices
and attendant costs or availability are best determined by market forces.

"Bank lending could increase if the mandatory lending allocations are
removed," said Deputy BSP Gov. Diwa C. Guinigundo on Tuesday.

He said loan demand, no matter the 12.2-percent loan growth posted at
end-June this year, was considered less than optimal by the regulators.

"Loan demand is still too low despite the launching of the
Public-Private Partnership program," Guinigundo said in viewing actual
loan activities after the government launched a massive infrastructure
build up program costing tens of billions of pesos when pursued in earnest.

Under the law, the banks are told to set aside 15 percent of total loan
portfolio as lending to agricultural borrowers and another 10 percent to
agrarian reform beneficiaries.

Because borrowers often do not meet the strict requirements imposed by
banks, so-called alternate compliance later revoked were allowed.

Private bank executives have since complained the agri-agra lending rule
has made for more complicated lending in that regulatory penalties were
often weighed against the likelihood of losing good money on a bad
project whose proponents do not even bother to present feasibility
studies to support their loan applications.

Bank executives have to account for their performance every year before
shareholders who do not relish receiving diminished dividends on account
of a mandate most banks view as an unreasonable tax.

The mandatory allocations are on top of the GRT imposed on the interest
income on loans generated by lending to the micro and small and medium
scale entrepreneurs or MSMEs, itself also a mandated lending sector.

Even the deposit reserve requirement the BSP tells the banks to observe
is a form of tax that goes against the grain of allowing the banks to
determine where their funds may be spent.

The mandatory reserve requirement is made worse by the recent monetary
board decision discontinuing the practice of paying the banks a certain
fee in exchange for keeping their money in the vaults of the BSP.

This means that on top of forcibly agreeing to keep the funds in reserve
at the BSP, the banks also lost what little reward they used to get when
the BSP initially agreed to remunerate them for observing the deposit
reserve rule.

--
---------------------------------------------------------------------
CARLOS ANI - International Microfinance Consultant - SEEDFINANCE Corporation Chairman
Mailing address: PO Box 90 UPLB Los Banos Laguna, Philippines 4031
Emails: carlosani@gmail.com , carlosani@seedfinance.net
Landline Phone: +63495010127 (PLDT)
Cellphone Numbers: +639152919580 (Globe) and +639328590859 (Sun)

Websites:
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DEVJOBS - http://www.devjobsmail.com
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Family website - http://www.anifamily.net
SEEDFINANCE Corporation - http://www.seedfinance.net
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Skype name: carlosaniph
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BDO imposes P2 fee on cash card withdrawals

BDO imposes P2 fee on cash card withdrawals
By: Victor C. Agustin
August 20, 2012 2:55 PM

Starting September 1, it will cost a BDO cash card holder P2 every time
he/she withdraws his/her own money from any BDO terminal.

The fee does NOT apply to every BDO depositor's ATM transaction, as
Cocktales had mistakenly reported earlier. Cocktales regrets the error,
and apologizes to BDO and its depositors for the confusion.

The new fee advisory was being flashed on the bank's 1,596 ATM-network
as each terminal dispensed wads of cash for the duration of the four-day
weekend.

BDO issued a quick clarification after Cocktales posted earlier that the
P2-fee also covered ATM withdrawals by regular BDO account holders.

"The P2-fee will only be effective on withdrawals of clients using Cash
Cards (or BDO pre-paid electronic debit cards), similar to what other
industry players are implementing," said Jaime Nasol, head of BDO's cash
management services.

"This is to partially recover our cost on cash handling," Nasol added.

Nasol said BDO, like any other local bank, still exempts its own account
holders from any ATM fee so long as the withdrawal is made from the
depositor's own bank ATM network.

But withdrawals made on other bank's ATMs are hit with P10-11 fee for
every transaction.

Individual banks do not normally publish their depositor base or the
number of transactions that their own home networks process each day.

But a rare glimpse of the magnitude of the potential windfall from such
automated transactions may be gleaned from a year-end account by
BancNet, the largest of the three ATM consortiums in the country. (BDO
happens to be a Megalink member.)

BancNet chief operating officer Aristeo Zafra Jr. said a record 2.282
million "switched" transactions was recorded on the BancNet network last
December 15.

Switched transactions, as defined by BancNet, are mostly withdrawals and
balance inquiries done on ATMs other than the ATMs of the cardholder's
bank. These are done not only by the consortium's own cardholders but
also by cardholders of other networks such as Megalink and BPI-dominated
ExpressNet.

December 15 happened to be payday for government offices and most
private companies. It was also the same day, BancNet said, when most
Christmas bonuses were distributed and credited into employee bank accounts.

"Withdrawals usually peak on the payday before Christmas on account of
the fact that majority of ATM accounts are payroll accounts," Zafra said.

The volume on the Friday before Christmas, December 23 came very close
to December 15, with 2.278 million switched transactions, followed by
December 29, the payday before the New Year weekend which posted 2.083
million switched transactions.

BancNet said it had over 12 million ATM cardholders and 5,700 ATMs at
end-2011, comprising 37.4 percent and 50 percent, respectively, of all
cardholders and ATMs in the country.

BDO so far has the most generous ceiling for ATM withdrawals for its own
depositors, allowing up to P50,000 cash withdrawal a day at a maximum
P25,000 for every ATM transaction.

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CARLOS ANI - International Microfinance Consultant - SEEDFINANCE Corporation Chairman
Mailing address: PO Box 90 UPLB Los Banos Laguna, Philippines 4031
Emails: carlosani@gmail.com , carlosani@seedfinance.net
Landline Phone: +63495010127 (PLDT)
Cellphone Numbers: +639152919580 (Globe) and +639328590859 (Sun)

Websites:
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Family website - http://www.anifamily.net
SEEDFINANCE Corporation - http://www.seedfinance.net
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Skype name: carlosaniph
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Tillers, fishers can avail of P2.7-B fund again

Tillers, fishers can avail of P2.7-B fund again

By Gil C. Cabacungan

Philippine Daily Inquirer
4:57 am | Monday, August 20th, 2012

The Aquino administration will make available close to P2.7 billion in
fresh funds for farmers and fishermen with the lifting of the moratorium
on the corruption-tainted Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund
(ACEF) which was allegedly used as a slush fund for the 2010 campaign by
former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan said Budget Secretary Florencio Abad Jr. had
agreed to release P1.95 billion from the ACEF fund and another P700
million in fresh infusions beginning in September this year after the
Congressional Oversight Committee on Agricultural and Fisheries
Modernization agreed on Friday to institute measures to prevent the
misuse of the fund.

"There is a clamor for more funds for the agriculture sector, especially
with the calamities that have struck our farmers and fisherfolk in the
last two years while the ACEF has been suspended. We agreed to reduce
the loan component in the ACEF, which had been the biggest source of
abuse," Pangilinan said. It was learned that in the last administration,
favored companies and individuals were getting loans without any
collateral and without having to pay any interest, Pangilinan said in an
interview.

Under the new guidelines, Pangilinan said 60 percent of the ACEF would
be given as grants to deserving farmers and fishermen while another 10
percent would be given in scholarship funds to their relatives. "The
government is not in the business of giving loans but giving grants,"
said Pangilinan.

Stringent requirements

Only 30 percent would be earmarked for loans (down from 70 percent
during the Arroyo administration) and Pangilinan said that this would be
coursed through government financial institutions (GFIs) rather than
state agencies. Pangilinan said the GFIs would implement more stringent
lending requirements, including appropriate interest rates and minimum
collateral requirements.

Fund releases from the ACEF were halted two years ago after the new
administration questioned the unusually large amount of bad loans
amassed under the P10-billion facility, which was created in 1996 as a
safety net for farmers and fishermen affected by the trade
liberalization policies of the government. When it was suspended in
January 2011, the ACEF had P8.7 billion in unpaid loans accumulated
during the nine-year term of the Arroyo administration.

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CARLOS ANI - International Microfinance Consultant - SEEDFINANCE Corporation Chairman
Mailing address: PO Box 90 UPLB Los Banos Laguna, Philippines 4031
Emails: carlosani@gmail.com , carlosani@seedfinance.net
Landline Phone: +63495010127 (PLDT)
Cellphone Numbers: +639152919580 (Globe) and +639328590859 (Sun)

Websites:
CARLOSANI.COM - http://www.carlosani.com
DEVJOBS - http://www.devjobsmail.com
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http://phildevfinance.blogspot.com
Family website - http://www.anifamily.net
SEEDFINANCE Corporation - http://www.seedfinance.net
My News Clippings - http://www.myclipps.posterous.com
Skype name: carlosaniph
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DBP promotes growth thru microfinance

DBP promotes growth thru microfinance

By Manila Standard Today | Posted on August 19, 2012

The Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has stepped up its efforts
to promote the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises through its
participation to the Credit Surety Fund (CSF) program of the Bangko
Sentral ng Pilipinas. DBP was the first financial institution to support
the CSF program as a contributor to the fund, trustee bank, and lender
to the participating cooperatives and its qualified MSME members.

Launched in 2008, the CSF is a credit enhancement scheme that
allows-member cooperatives and its member-MSMEs to borrow from banks
through a joint letter of surety coverage issued by the CSF oversight
committee in lieu of hard collateral. In December 2009, DBP
institutionalized its CSF Credit Facility to give credit assistance to
CSF member-cooperatives and individual MSMEs who belong to members of
CSF member-cooperatives.

DBP president and chief executive Francisco Del Rosario Jr. said that as
of June 2012, the bank has approved contributions to 29 credit surety
funds established in various parts of the country. DBP is supporting 344
cooperatives and non-government organizations through its contributions
to the 25 credit surety funds. He added that DBP has approved
P42.05-million in contributions to the credit surety funds, and has
released P24.7-million to date.

"DBP has released P93.18-million in loans to MSMEs under the CSF Credit
Facility, with loan approvals amounting to P152.48-million," Del Rosario
added. The bank also has P61.756-million in loans in the pipeline for 13
borrowers under the said facility.

SEED Program

The CSF Credit Facility is one of the numerous initiatives integrated
under DBP's umbrella program for MSMES — the Sustainable
Entrepreneurship and Enhancement Development (SEED) program. This
program aims to improve the access of MSMEs to DBP's credit facilities
and fast-track the credit application process. Through the program, DBP
brings SMEs to the mainstream of banking by implementing alternative
ways for securing MSME loans and maximizing its lending reach.

Credit programs under the SEED include the Organic Agriculture program,
High Value Crops Financing program, Cleaner Public Transportation
program, Venture Capital program and the One Town, One Product credit
program.

Agricultural Microfinance

DBP has also opened its Agricultural Credit Policy Council-DBP
Cooperative Agricultural Lending Program Facility (CALP) that funds
stable cooperative banks and cooperatives extending agricultural
microfinance loans to small farmers and fisherfolk.

With an initial funding allocation of P200-million, the CALP will
support the production of crops, livestock, poultry and fisheries. It
will also fund on-farm or off-farm activities of agricultural households
using the household cash flow lending approach.

On its 65th year, DBP commits itself to continue promoting the growth of
micro, small and medium enterprises through sustainable and high-impact
programs that will help create employment and income opportunities for
the enterprising Filipino.

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CARLOS ANI - International Microfinance Consultant - SEEDFINANCE Corporation Chairman
Mailing address: PO Box 90 UPLB Los Banos Laguna, Philippines 4031
Emails: carlosani@gmail.com , carlosani@seedfinance.net
Landline Phone: +63495010127 (PLDT)
Cellphone Numbers: +639152919580 (Globe) and +639328590859 (Sun)

Websites:
CARLOSANI.COM - http://www.carlosani.com
DEVJOBS - http://www.devjobsmail.com
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http://phildevfinance.blogspot.com
Family website - http://www.anifamily.net
SEEDFINANCE Corporation - http://www.seedfinance.net
My News Clippings - http://www.myclipps.posterous.com
Skype name: carlosaniph
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

BPO industry expects more dramatic growth ahead

BPO industry expects more dramatic growth ahead

Written by MADELAINE MIRAFLOR REPORTER AND SHEILA MAÑALAC CORRESPONDENT


In grabbing control of the global business process outsourcing (BPO)
industry from India, the Philippines may have finally found the key to
long-term, sustainable economic growth that will lift the country out of
Third World status.

Up until two years ago, India had been the world's biggest BPO provider.
While BPO includes service support, sales and marketing, technical
support and front and back office operations, the biggest money earner
remain the inbound and outbound calls, which is why most Filipinos still
think of the BPO industry in call center terms.

Calls to and from customers are the bread and butter accounts of BPO
companies, and it is the primary reason the Philippines was able to
become the world's dominant player. In general, Filipinos speak English
better than their Indian counterparts, and since the US is the biggest
call center market in the world, it was inevitable that American
companies would transfer their business to the country which was once
their colony.

According to Martin Conboy, president of the Australian BPO Association,
the BPO industry in the Philippines will soon be the powerhouse of the
economy since it continues to remit millions of dollars to the country
without having to send workers abroad. And those remittances are
expected to continue to grow in the near to mid-term.

"Through BPO, Philippines will be the powerhouse of the global economy
in few years because it is a magnificent place to supply people who are
great workers when it comes to software," said Conboy.

Conboy also added that the Philippines produces a large number of
skilled and talented workers that unfortunately, are not being utilized
to the max. Not so with BPO companies. In this industry, a person's
skills determine how far up the totem pole the employee goes.

Already transitioning to developed status
Because of the BPO industry, the Philippines is already transitioning to
a developed country, Conboy added.

"In 12 years, the economy in the Philippines will double and the BPO
industry is about to be the biggest contributor to the GDP, which
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) contribute the most through their
remittances," said Conboy.

GDP or Gross Domestic Product is the sum total of all goods and services
produced by a country in a given year, excluding earnings from its
expatriate workers. If the past record of the industry is used as the
basis, then the industry's future — and that of the country — can only
be considered as bright.

Nora Terrado, president of the Software Industry Association of the
Philippines, said that this year the BPO-software industry in the
Philippines has so far posted 20 percent growth compared to the same
period last year, driven by increased demand from the US and Australia.

According to a report from the Business Processing Association
Philippines (BPAP), the IT-BPO and global in-house center industry in
the Philippines has grown at an annual rate of 30 percent over the last
decade, faster than the growth of the global offshore services market.
As it has grown, the industry has also diversified significantly in
breadth, scale, and maturity of services.

Said the BPAP: "IT-BPO industry is the Philippines' most important
generator of jobs. Its contribution to GDP was approximately five
percent in 2011, and it is the Philippines' third-largest net foreign
exchange earner after tourism and remittances from an estimated 10
million overseas workers.

"Its contribution to economic development is centered not only in the
nation's National Capital Region, but also in other highly urbanized
areas throughout the country, or Next Wave Cities. Employment in these
cities was estimated at 150,000 at the end of 2011."

End nowhere in sight
Despite its impressive growth in the past decade, the BPO industry in
the Philippines is still on the rise. Industry leaders maintain a
positive outlook that the end of this growth is still nowhere in sight.

From its beginning in 1999, when Cyber City set up an outsourcing
facility at the former United States Air Force base in Clark, Pampanga,
the growth of the industry has been steady. Not only has this helped the
economy, but it has also created jobs for Filipinos nationwide, since
roughly one out of five BPO jobs are now located outside Metro Manila.

Indeed, the industry has made the lives of Filipino workers easier
because the starting pay is close to double the minimum wage. Also, the
industry offers quality jobs for the country's large labor pool.

But now, there's a problem: filling the demand for qualified workers for
this fast-growing industry.

Although Filipinos are known to be good in English, a huge number of the
population is not really used to using this language in daily
conversation. The largest number of English-speaking Filipinos remains
concentrated in the Metro Manila area and the key cities. The supply may
seem to be running short.

But according to Rainerio "Bong" Borja, president and country manager of
NCO and APAC, and founder of the BPAP, the lack of quality manpower is
not an issue but only a challenge.

"I'm not convinced it's a problem because if you look at our raw
ingredient, we have 400,000 college graduates, and all of those
graduates are looking to be employed and take on white-collar work. Very
few of those 400,000 took up college to end up as farmers or factory
workers or other kinds of jobs. All of them, or most of them would
rather end up working a white collar job. And there is no other industry
that's actually employing in the same massive numbers as we are. So
basically, if you talk about availability of white-collar work we have a
monopoly of that," he told The Manila Times.

Proactively addressing the issue
The BPO industry has become such a key cog of the economy that it was
even mentioned in President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino's recent SONA.

The government is not blind to the potential manpower shortage that can
mar the growth of the industry. What better way to address the issue of
manpower than to partner with government institutions and universities,
where the "raw ingredient" comes from.

"We have different partnerships with government agencies. TESDA has P400
million in funds put in the industry, so we are training 65,000 scholars
who are almost employable and near hires. We are training them on
industry specific training and 70 percent are converted into hires. If
you do the math, that's 47,000 out of 65,000 trainees who are hires,"
Benedict Hernandez told The Manikla Times. He is the president and CEO
of BPAP and the Operations Lead for Accenture BPO Services Delivery in
the Philippines.

Hernandez said that everyone in the industry is being proactive in
supplying the manpower that they need to meet the demand. He said there
is actually no problem; it is only that the tremendous growth in the
industry has led to a rapid surge in the demand for quality manpower.

"The demand is huge, and the need to add supply of manpower is essential
for the growing industry," he said.

Aside from TESDA, the industry is also working with the Commission on
Higher Education (CHED). There is already a pilot deployment of the
Service Management Program, where college students can enroll while in
school and learn IT-BPO skills they need. "This program is ideal for any
service industry as we teach them universal skills such as service
orientation, business communication, and also fundamentals of IT-BPO,
among many more," said Hernandez. This is already being done in four
universities, and they expect to throw a wider net in the near future.

US anti-outsourcing bill
Industry leaders have been paying close attention to the upcoming US
presidential elections because incumbent President Barack Obama has made
an issue of challenger Mitt Romney's outsourcing of jobs that are
desperately needed by the stagnant US economy.

With the US economy in such a weak state – unemployment is slightly
below 8.3 percent as of this month — the "Bring Home Jobs Act" pushed by
Obama could be a threat to the growing BPO industry in the Philippines.

Should Obama win another four year term this November – most surveys
indicate that he has a good chance of defeating the gaffe-prone Mitt
Romney – then there could be a stumbling block to the continued growth
of the industry.

But people in the industry seem to think otherwise. "The US Senate
rejected the bill already. There is a similar bill that comes up every
now and then, although personally, I think this type of bill is
perfectionist in nature. We support the rationale of the rejection of
this bill, because outsourcing makes American companies more
competitive. It is said that the 2,500 multinational companies create
more jobs in the US domestically and therefore outsourcing actually
supports the American demand for employment," said Hernandez.

Also acting in the Philippines' favor is continued globalization, which
makes controlling private companies next to impossible. "It is very
difficult to actually restrict the US private companies to determine
where they will have their products manufactured or where they have
their products serviced anywhere in the globe, that is part of
globalization. Just like an HP computer which I have is actually made in
Taiwan, it is not made by HP in the US. It's coming from places where
the service can be done at lower cost without sacrificing quality, or
better service at lower cost. So they can't say they have to move it
back to the US and sell these computers at higher cost and make the
consumer pay more for every call they make. So it's going to be
difficult to reverse that trend I think," according to Borja.

Health issues
There are other issues.

Although the risks are high, the industry still employs over half a
million workers to date. Since the BPO industry is known to service
consumers outside the country, particularly in the US, workers have to
adapt to the time difference, and that means working at night.

The British Medical Journal came out with an analysis of studies that
involved more than two million night shift workers, stating that shift
work disrupt the body clock and have an adverse effects on lifestyle.
This has been linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure,
diabetes, heart attack and stroke caused by lack of blood in the brain.

The BPO industry here in the Philippines says it is not bothered by this
issue. "We have all sorts of international labor organizations that say
that but there is really no study that singles out BPO workers. Of
course we pay huge attention to the health of our workers; we must
continue on attracting and maintaining a performing workforce and we
continue to find ways in order to do that. We invest a lot in health and
wellness programs for our workers, paying attention and incorporating
WHO campaigns on wellness programs, but we haven't really seen any study
that singles out BPO employees," said BPAP's Hernandez.

Even so, the industry takes pride in providing the best health care
benefits possible. "We definitely believe it puts a toll on people's
health and lifestyle so we go through extensive means to work with
employees and health care professionals to make sure that our employees
are briefed and educated on the proper lifestyle when you work at
night," said Borja.

He added that the industry has some of the best HMO or health care
benefits compared to other industries because they want to make sure
that their employees are well looked after.

"I think there's a lot more focus on what we are putting into we call
preventive health management rather than a reactive one. This means that
there's a lot of workshops and seminars that our companies run to
educate people and to make people aware on how to look after themselves
given this kind of work," said Borja. So indeed, prevention is still the
key. And when all else fails, employees can merely bring out their HMO
card, and the rest is taken care of.

The near future
The BPO industry is not far from the target income and growth that it
targeted at the start of the year. There are currently an estimated
650,000 Filipinos in the industry workforce, and the number is still
growing.

"We are probably at around $11.3 billion in revenue, we are projecting
at $20 billion at the conservative estimate, or $25 billion by 2016 at
an aggressive estimate. So you can imagine that's a huge increase that's
growing by double from $11.3 billion to $20 to $25 billion. Our run rate
is something around $11.3 billion so we are looking to grow by almost
double, or more than double in the case of the aggressive estimate,"
said Borja.

With these numbers, he said they have to be confident that they can
generate the manpower to support that because the revenue can be equated
to the number of people that they employ.

"For example, we are calculating to make $25 billion sop we need 1.3
million people to employ. In the conservative, we need 900,000 people to
make $20 billion. Right now we are currently employing I think about
650,000 today," says Borja.

And to BPAP, working with the government will ensure the industry's
continuous growth. "Through the Public-Private-Partnership Program we
are doing, we can maintain the growth of the industry if we continue to
do this."

A better option
The rise of the BPO industry has another seemingly unappreciated effect.
It gives qualified Filipinos the choice of staying home instead of
looking for better-paying jobs abroad.

Although the Philippines has been exporting manpower since the 1970s, it
is only in recent years that the ill effects of the brain drain has been
realized. Not only is the country losing its best and brightest minds,
but the social cost of broken families has become clear, with juvenile
delinquency and cheating spouses not uncommon among OFW families.

The industry gives workers a better option.

"There's no need for the OFWs to go outside the country to work. Through
BPO, they can stay here in the country with their family," said
Teleperformance's Lynn Ventilla.

Ventilla said that present growth path of the BPO companies do have
problems recruiting qualified manpower but this kind of challenge has
always been present.

"The challenge has always been there but we are still surviving, and in
fact, growing despite that. The government has never left us. They are
continuously supporting us," said Ventilla. "The reason why we are still
seeing confidence for the industry is because there are many
organizations that are helping us, especially non-government
organizations (NGOs)".

Since the Philippine economy has become so dependent on the BPO industry
to provide employment and boost the country's dollar reserves, it only
makes sense for the government and the private sector to make sure the
industry remains healthy.

Based on its present state, therefore, the Philippine BPO industry is
more than just healthy. If it were an athlete, its stature would be
considered Olympian. Or, as the Australian Conboy said, it's a powerhouse.

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CARLOS ANI - International Microfinance Consultant - SEEDFINANCE Corporation Chairman
Mailing address: PO Box 90 UPLB Los Banos Laguna, Philippines 4031
Emails: carlosani@gmail.com , carlosani@seedfinance.net
Landline Phone: +63495010127 (PLDT)
Cellphone Numbers: +639152919580 (Globe) and +639328590859 (Sun)

Websites:
CARLOSANI.COM - http://www.carlosani.com
DEVJOBS - http://www.devjobsmail.com
PHILDEVFINANCE - http://phildevfinance.posterous.com
http://phildevfinance.blogspot.com
Family website - http://www.anifamily.net
SEEDFINANCE Corporation - http://www.seedfinance.net
My News Clippings - http://www.myclipps.posterous.com
Skype name: carlosaniph
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

BSP OKs new name of Premiere Dev't Bank

BSP OKs new name of Premiere Dev't Bank

By Prinz Magtulis (The Philippine Star) Updated July 15, 2012 12:00 AM
Comments (0)

Manila, Philippines - All branches of Premiere Development Bank will now
be known as Security Bank Savings Corporation.

This was after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) approved last
Wednesday the change of corporate name of the thrift bank after it was
acquired by Security Banking Corp. June last year.

"The (BSP) has approved the change of corporate name of Premiere
Development Bank to 'Security Bank Savings Corporation' and adoption of
the following business names and styles: 'Security Bank Savings;
Security Savings Bank; and SBS Security Bank Savings," Circular Letter
No. 2012-051 posted on the BSP web site Friday stated.

"The (Premiere Development) Bank has registered with the Securities and
Exchange Commission its amended articles of incorporation and amended
by-laws bearing its new corporate and business names and styles on 14
June 2012," the circular added.

Premiere Bank has a total of 38 branches in Luzon, 21 of which is
located within Metro Manila, while the rest are spread out in the
provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite and Batangas.

In a disclosure last June 25, 2011, listed Security Bank bought 98
percent of Premiere Development Bank for P1.3 billion to "expand its
branch network, build its loan portfolio and expand its customer base."

Last Jan. 20, the acquisition was approved by the BSP's policy-making
body, the Monetary Board, authorizing the transfer of voting shares
equivalent to 96.42 percent of the outstanding capital stock of Premiere
Development Bank in favor of Security Bank.

Before the acquisition, Security Bank had an estimated loan portfolio of
P3 billion from 20,000 customers. It also had P4.7 billion in deposits
from 37,000 depositors.

Listed Security Bank booked a total of P1.092 billion in net income in
the first quarter, up 8.2 percent from same period last year.


--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CARLOS ANI - International Microfinance Consultant - SEEDFINANCE Corporation Chairman
Mailing address: PO Box 90 UPLB Los Banos Laguna, Philippines 4031
Emails: carlosani@gmail.com , carlosani@seedfinance.net
Landline Phone: +63495010127 (PLDT)
Cellphone Numbers: +639152919580 (Globe) and +639328590859 (Sun)

Websites:
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DEVJOBS - http://www.devjobsmail.com
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Family website - http://www.anifamily.net
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Skype name: carlosaniph
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

2 out of 3 Filipino families able to save 25% of income–NSCB report

2 out of 3 Filipino families able to save 25% of income–NSCB report
By: Ana G. Roa
Philippine Daily Inquirer
8:37 pm | Tuesday, July 10th, 2012


MANILA, Philippines — Two in three Filipino families were "savers"
between 2003 and 2009, keeping an average of P23 to P25 out of every
P100 they earned, a recent National Statistical Coordination Board
(NSCB) report showed.

The report also showed that female-headed households saved more than
male-headed ones.

The percentage of "savers" or families with income higher than
expenditure were 65.5 percent in 2003, 65.1 percent in 2006 and 65.9
percent in 2009.

The "non-savers" or families with savings less than or equal to zero
accounted for 34.5 percent in 2003, 34.9 percent in 2006 and 34.1
percent in 2009.

The latest Family Income and Expenditures Survey (FIES), which was used
as basis for the NSCB report was in 2009. The National Statistics Office
will conduct the next FIES survey in July 2012 and January of 2013,
with 2012 as reference year.
The report, written by former NSCB secretary general Romulo A. Virola,
NSCB director Jessamyn O. Encarnacion and NSCB statistical coordination
officer Mechelle M. Viernes, used data from the Family Income and
Expenditures Survey, which is conducted by the National Statistics
Office triennially.

The "savers" reported an average annual per capita savings of P10,693 in
2003, P11,982 in 2006 and P14,298 in 2009.
This would mean that the "savers" have the capacity to "save" at least
one person out of food poverty, the NSCB said, citing the official
annual per capita food threshold in 2003 at P7577, in 2006 at P9,257 and
in 2009 at P11,686.

On the other hand, the "non-savers" reported a deficit of 14 to 15
percent of their income between 2003 and 2009 or for every P100 that
they earn, they spend P114 to P115 pesos.

In terms of spending patterns, the biggest difference between "savers"
and "non-savers" was on food expenditures, with the latter spending
about 4 to 5 percent more.

Previous findings from poverty analysis showed that the poor spent
proportionately more on food than the non-poor, the NSCB noted.

Education was one of the items being sacrificed by non-savers, the
report found.
"This could mean that many of our kababayans could no longer afford to
send our children to school, or that higher education is no longer the
priority that it used to be among Pinoy families," the report said.
Another worrisome finding was that "non-savers" spend relatively more on
alcoholic beverages and tobacco than the "savers," NSCB noted.
In current prices, the total income of all families in the country was
P2.4 trillion in 2003, P3 trillion in 2006 and P3.8 trillion in 2009
while total expenditures amounted to P2 trillion in 2003, P2.6 trillion
in 2006 and P3.2 trillion in 2009.
This resulted in the share of total savings to total income of 16.4
percent in 2003 to 14.8 percent in 2006 and 14.9 percent in 2009.
Removing the impact of price increases overtime, real per capita annual
savings across all families nationwide went down from P5,261 in 2003 to
P4,667 in 2006 and P4,957 in 2009.
By geographic location, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) had
the highest savings ratio in 2009 at 0.23 followed by Cagayan Valley at
0.21 and Central Visayas at 0.20.
The regions with the lowest savings ratio in 2009 were Western Visayas
(0.12), Bicol Region (0.14) and National Capital Region (0.15).
Among the "non-savers" in the regions, the highest deficit ratios in
2009 were observed in CAR (0.21) Socsksargen (0.18) and Cagayan Valley
(0.17).
"CAR and Region II appear to exhibit extreme behavior…they are home to
families who are the highest savers as well as the most lavish
spenders," the NSCB said.
Among savers between 2003 and 2009, the savings ratio of matriarchal or
female-headed households was consistently higher than the patriarchal or
male-headed ones.
Matriarchal households that were "savers" spent relatively less on
food, non-durable furnishing, clothing and footwear compared to the
patriarchal households. Patriarchal households that were "savers" spent
relatively less on recreation, special family occasions, gifts and
contributions, NSCB said.
Among non-savers, the income deficit of matriarchal households was
consistently less than the patriarchal households.
Matriarchal households that were "non-savers" spent relatively more on
personal care and effects compared to their male-headed counterparts,
while patriarchal households that were "non-savers" spent relatively
more on alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and durable furnishing.
The savings ratios of "savers" among households whose heads were single
were practically the same as those of "savers" with married household heads.
"Clearly, the challenge for those of us not on the Forbes List is how to
spend our money more wisely…less on non-basic expenditures so that we
will have more for essentials, like education and health," the NSCB said.

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CARLOS ANI - International Microfinance Consultant - SEEDFINANCE Corporation Chairman
Mailing address: PO Box 90 UPLB Los Banos Laguna, Philippines 4031
Emails: carlosani@gmail.com , carlosani@seedfinance.net
Landline Phone: +63495010127 (PLDT)
Cellphone Numbers: +639152919580 (Globe) and +639328590859 (Sun)

Websites:
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Family website - http://www.anifamily.net
SEEDFINANCE Corporation - http://www.seedfinance.net
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Skype name: carlosaniph
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Loans to small traders may hit P1B by yearend

Loans to small traders may hit P1B by yearend
Philippine Daily Inquirer
9:42 pm | Sunday, July 8th, 2012


MANILA, Philippines—Loans to microenterprises under the government's
credit surety fund (CSF) program are expected to hit the P1-billion mark
by the end of the year.

According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the government is
bent on increasing financial assistance to the microenterprises sector
to attain an economic growth rate that will actually reduce the
incidence of poverty.
Gary Maningo, program manager for the CSF program, which is spearheaded
by the central bank, said that they were told to release loans amounting
to P1 billion by the end of this year.

Since the CSF program started in 2008, a total of P271 million had been
released by the 22 CSFs nationwide.
Maningo said the amount of loan disbursements should increase in the
months ahead due to the rise in the number of CSFs.
"Although the program started in 2008, lending activities have started
to pick up only recently," Maningo told the Inquirer at the sidelines of
a BSP briefing on economic developments held Saturday at Subic Bay.

A CSF is a pool of funds from state-owned banks, local governments,
cooperatives, and nongovernment organizations that is used to serve as
collateral for bank loans secured by microenterprises.
The objective of the CSF program is to make loans accessible for small
businesses. Most small traders find it difficult to borrow from banks
because they lack assets that can serve as collateral.
But with the CSF, 80 percent of the loan secured by the borrower is
guaranteed. Central bank officials said the guarantee encourages banks
to lend to microenterprises.
Maningo said the rise in loans for microenterprises would complement the
government's medium-term goal of increasing the contributions of micro,
small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector to the Philippine economy
from the current 35 percent to 40 percent.
Estimates showed that there are about 800,000 enterprises in the
country, of which about 600,000 are MSMEs.
Central bank officials said supporting growth of microenterprises would
be an effective way to address what economists describe as
"non-inclusive economic growth" in the Philippines.
Economists explained that, although the Philippine economy has been
growing over the years, the number of Filipinos living below the poverty
line remains significant. As of 2009, poverty incidence stood at 26.5
percent. They said that only the middle class and the rich get to
benefit from the economic growth of the Philippines.
One of the factors cited for the problem is the inability of the poor to
access loans.
The BSP said that, through the CSF program, the country's economic
growth would become

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CARLOS ANI - International Microfinance Consultant - SEEDFINANCE Corporation Chairman
Mailing address: PO Box 90 UPLB Los Banos Laguna, Philippines 4031
Emails: carlosani@gmail.com , carlosani@seedfinance.net
Landline Phone: +63495010127 (PLDT)
Cellphone Numbers: +639152919580 (Globe) and +639328590859 (Sun)

Websites:
CARLOSANI.COM - http://www.carlosani.com
DEVJOBS - http://www.devjobsmail.com
PHILDEVFINANCE - http://phildevfinance.posterous.com
http://phildevfinance.blogspot.com
Family website - http://www.anifamily.net
SEEDFINANCE Corporation - http://www.seedfinance.net
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Skype name: carlosaniph
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BPO sector seen paying P247 billion in wages this year

BPO sector seen paying P247 billion in wages this year

By Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star) Updated July 05, 2012 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The labor-intensive business process outsourcing
(BPO) sector is expected to pay a total of P247 billion in wages this
year, one of the industry's backers in Congress said yesterday.

House Deputy Majority Leader and Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo said BPO
firms on average spend around 40 to 45 percent of their revenues to
compensate their staff as "the industry is basically adding high-value
labor services."

At this rate, BPO companies would be disbursing approximately $5.85
billion in salaries this year based on projected industry revenues of up
to $13 billion, he said.

"No matter how we look at it, P247 billion represents a huge amount of
money being coursed through the economy every year, and helping to drive
consumption spending," Romulo said.

He said consumption spending in turn has helped to create recurring
demand for goods and services, thus perking up domestic industries.

"To put the P247 billion into perspective, it is equal to around 14
percent of the National Government's P1.816-trillion spending program
this year, and larger than the budgets of the top five departments," the
lawmaker said.

The Department of Education is spending P238.8 billion this year;
Department of Public Works and Highways, P125.5 billion; Department of
National Defense, P107.9 billion; Department of the Interior and Local
Government, P101.4 billion; and the Department of Agriculture, P54.1
billion.

A recent survey by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showed that BPO
employees on average receive P383,863 in annual compensation, he said.

Romulo said the P247 billion is also some 53 percent greater than the
P161 billion in combined annual benefits paid by the Social Security
System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and Philippine
Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) to their respective members.

The SSS and GSIS paid P76 billion and P50 billion respectively in
benefits to their members in 2011, while Philhealth paid P35 billion, he
said.

The BPO industry is projected to rake in up to $27 billion in annual
revenues and directly engage some 1.3 million Filipino workers by 2016.
It posted $11 billion in revenues on a labor force of 638,000 in 2011.

This year, the sector hopes to create 126,000 new jobs and generate $2
billion in extra earnings, according to the Business Processing
Association of the Philippines.

The industry encompasses contact center services; back offices; medical,
legal and other data transcription; animation; software development;
engineering design; and digital content.


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CARLOS ANI - International Microfinance Consultant - SEEDFINANCE Corporation Chairman
Mailing address: PO Box 90 UPLB Los Banos Laguna, Philippines 4031
Emails: carlosani@gmail.com , carlosani@seedfinance.net
Landline Phone: +63495010127 (PLDT)
Cellphone Numbers: +639152919580 (Globe) and +639328590859 (Sun)

Websites:
CARLOSANI.COM - http://www.carlosani.com
DEVJOBS - http://www.devjobsmail.com
PHILDEVFINANCE - http://phildevfinance.posterous.com
http://phildevfinance.blogspot.com
Family website - http://www.anifamily.net
SEEDFINANCE Corporation - http://www.seedfinance.net
My News Clippings - http://www.myclipps.posterous.com
Skype name: carlosaniph
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

BSP certifies 6 rural banks under Agri-Agra Reform law

BSP certifies 6 rural banks under Agri-Agra Reform law

THE BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas has accredited six rural banks as firms
that other banks can lend to or invest in as they comply with the
requirements of Republic Act 10000 or the Agri-Agra Reform Credit Act of
2009.

In Circular No. 2012-047 dated July 3, 2012, the central bank said the
following have been certified as Accredited Rural Financial Institutions
(ARFI): Rural Bank of Kiamba, Inc., Rural Bank of Barili (Cebu), Inc.,
Producers Savings Bank Corp., Rural Bank of Sta. Catalina, Inc.,
Community Rural Bank of Catmon, Inc., and Rural Bank of Bay, Inc.

"Such accreditation is valid until sooner revoked for non-renewal or
non-compliance with the qualification requirements prescribed under
existing rules and regulations," the circular read.

The Agri-Agra Reform Credit Act mandates banks to set aside 25% of their
total loanable funds for lending to the agriculture and agrarian reform
sectors.

Aside from extending loans and purchasing eligible loans from other
banks, banks have alternative modes to comply with the law.

These alternatives include paid subscription of shares of stock in ARFIs
and investments in the special deposit accounts of ARFIs.

Implementing rules and regulations of the Agri-Agra law were issued by
the central bank in September last year.

Banks, then, were required to submit a report detailing their compliance
in January this year. -- K. A. Martin

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CARLOS ANI - International Microfinance Consultant - SEEDFINANCE Corporation Chairman
Mailing address: PO Box 90 UPLB Los Banos Laguna, Philippines 4031
Emails: carlosani@gmail.com , carlosani@seedfinance.net
Landline Phone: +63495010127 (PLDT)
Cellphone Numbers: +639152919580 (Globe) and +639328590859 (Sun)

Websites:
CARLOSANI.COM - http://www.carlosani.com
DEVJOBS - http://www.devjobsmail.com
PHILDEVFINANCE - http://phildevfinance.posterous.com
http://phildevfinance.blogspot.com
Family website - http://www.anifamily.net
SEEDFINANCE Corporation - http://www.seedfinance.net
My News Clippings - http://www.myclipps.posterous.com
Skype name: carlosaniph
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BSP bans flat rates on loans

BSP bans flat rates on loans
By Prinz P. Magtulis (The Philippine Star) Updated July 03, 2012

MANILA, Philippines - Banks and other lending institutions are no longer
allowed to offer flat interest rates on loans as the Bangko Sentral ng
Pilipinas (BSP) implements circulars updating rules of a 1963 law that
enforces transparency in credit lending.

BSP Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla said yesterday the new circulars
want to establish discipline and responsibility among credit granting
institutions.

"Interest should be based on outstanding balance of a loan. In reality
however, what we have observed is that interest rates are charged to
initial balances, even if it has declined," Espenilla said.

"Flat rates are no longer allowed since they tend to confuse the
public," he added.

A flat rate is when lenders charge a fix interest rate to a particular
loan within a certain maturity. Espenilla said this tend to be
"appealing" to borrowers, especially since they are "easy and seems to
be more understandable" than a declining interest rate.

A declining rate, he explained, is when the interest is based on the
balance of the loan plus all the fees and charges computed every paying
period. In this way, Espenilla said a lender is being transparent as to
the true cost of the loan.

"But the loan is not necessarily more expensive. You are just being
transparent," Espenilla explained.

He cited a case when a borrower of P10,000, with a term of 13 weeks, was
charged with 1.5 percent flat monthly interest rate plus a separate
three percent rate as "other charges." The P803.85 weekly amortization
will be the same for a P10,000 loan with a term of 13 weeks and has a
declining interest rate of 4.77 percent.

In the second instance, "the total cost of the loan involved the
interest, fees, service charges, discounts, and all others incident to
the extension of credit," Espenilla said, noting that fees and charges
are part of the "mandatory disclosures" provided under the BSP Circular 755.

"The challenge here is really the enforcement. We made a comprehensive
effort in drafting these rules and now our efforts will shift to making
sure that these regulations will stick toward enforcements," Espenilla said.

Lending institutions that will be found not following the new rules will
be sanctioned accordingly, he added.


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CARLOS ANI - International Microfinance Consultant - SEEDFINANCE Corporation Chairman
Mailing address: PO Box 90 UPLB Los Banos Laguna, Philippines 4031
Emails: carlosani@gmail.com , carlosani@seedfinance.net
Landline Phone: +63495010127 (PLDT)
Cellphone Numbers: +639152919580 (Globe) and +639328590859 (Sun)

Websites:
CARLOSANI.COM - http://www.carlosani.com
DEVJOBS - http://www.devjobsmail.com
PHILDEVFINANCE - http://phildevfinance.posterous.com
http://phildevfinance.blogspot.com
Family website - http://www.anifamily.net
SEEDFINANCE Corporation - http://www.seedfinance.net
My News Clippings - http://www.myclipps.posterous.com
Skype name: carlosaniph
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BDO, Smart bring mobile banking to new heights

BDO, Smart bring mobile banking to new heights

By Ted P. Torres (The Philippine Star) Updated July 03, 2012 12:00

MANILA, Philippines - BDO Unibank Inc. has been making banking more
convenient for the public with the use of mobile phone technology.

With the mobile phone and a Smart prepaid card, BDO customers can
practically do bank transactions anywhere, anytime.

With the help of leading telecommunications provider Smart
Communications Inc. (Smart), BDO introduced the Smart Money prepaid card
that also serves as an automated teller machine (ATM), and a debit card.

It has become so popular that BDO has already issued over 400,000 Smart
Money cards.

BDO senior vice president and cash management services head Jaime M.
Nasol explained that mobile phone banking makes it convenient for anyone
to transact with the bank or make cash transactions without having to
actually go to a bank branch.

"Our customers can have access to the bank, without having to physically
go to the bank," Nasol said.

Through the mobile phone alone, an enrolled bank client can either check
ones savings or checking account with BDO, make money transfer, buy
airtime, or more popularly called load (pasaload), for the Smart, Talk
'N Text, Globe and Touch Mobile cellular phones, and reload Smart Money
cards.

Money transfer transactions are among the more popular especially for
beneficiaries of overseas Filipinos, or even money transfers
domestically. There are students studying in Manila but receiving money
from parents based outside of Metro Manila. Or there are cases when one
gets his payroll through the mobile phone into their Smart Money
pre-paid cards.

Nasol explained that mobile banking with BDO could be translated to
immeasurable savings for the user aside from the obvious convenience.

An enrolled mobile phone users can make a balance inquiry for free with
BDO via the mobile phone versus having to go to an ATM and pay between
P2 to P11 per transaction.

And with a Smart Money card, a beneficiary in far-flung areas need not
go all the way to a town center to visit a BDO branch to make cash
withdrawal. The sender can just load the cash through the mobile phone
to the Smart Money pre-paid card.

With the "load" pre-paid card, the holder has a number of options on how
to redeem the cash, or use the card for purchases.

Smart operates over a hundred Smart Centers, over 5,000 money-in,
money-out (MIMO) outlets, over 740 BDO branches, 1,500 BDO ATMs, or
8,000 ATMs of all providers, 38 financial institutions (cooperatives and
rural banks) that use the point-of-sale (POS) cordless terminals.

Smart's MIMO are also outlets, which generally sells airtime or load,
although some are even thrift and rural banks, cooperatives, money
changers, pawnshops, sari-sari stores, and the like.

Smart Communications department head for financial services Tricia V.
Dizon revealed that China Banking Corp. and the Land Bank of the
Philippines (LBP) have also joined the mobile banking bandwagon.

"In fact, we have 10 million virtual accounts using smart money, while
some are carded as in the case of BDO's Smart Money pre-paid card,"
Dizon explained.

She explained that they have already created a nationwide ecosystem that
can support mobile banking, in various degrees, scale and complexity of
applications.

"We are in a state where we can do it virtually," the Smart executive said.


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------------------------------------------------------------------------
CARLOS ANI - International Microfinance Consultant - SEEDFINANCE Corporation Chairman
Mailing address: PO Box 90 UPLB Los Banos Laguna, Philippines 4031
Emails: carlosani@gmail.com , carlosani@seedfinance.net
Landline Phone: +63495010127 (PLDT)
Cellphone Numbers: +639152919580 (Globe) and +639328590859 (Sun)

Websites:
CARLOSANI.COM - http://www.carlosani.com
DEVJOBS - http://www.devjobsmail.com
PHILDEVFINANCE - http://phildevfinance.posterous.com
http://phildevfinance.blogspot.com
Family website - http://www.anifamily.net
SEEDFINANCE Corporation - http://www.seedfinance.net
My News Clippings - http://www.myclipps.posterous.com
Skype name: carlosaniph
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Pioneer Life eyes premium, client buildup

Pioneer Life eyes premium, client buildup

INSURER Pioneer Life aims to make significant strides in the
microinsurance business this year, eyeing one million clients and P100
million in premium income.

This would represent a doubling of the insurer's microinsurance
clientele, which numbered 492,000 in 2011, yielding only P17 million in
premiums.
"We are willing to go out on a limb and be pioneers in microinsurance.
If we want to be a truly Filipino company, we need to be able to offer
insurance products for all Filipinos, not just the A and B classes,"
Pioneer Life President and Chief Executive Officer Lorenzo O. Chan said
in a press conference yesterday.
While microinsurance, or insurance for the poor, makes up "the lion's
share" of Pioneer Life's policies, it accounts for just 7% of the
company's total premium income.
Microinsurance, as defined by the government, cannot be priced more than
5% of the current daily minimum wage rate of non-farm workers in the
National Capital Region.
This caps the coverage of microinsurance policies at about P8,000 and
the premiums at around P200 to P500, depending on the product.
"When we decided to venture into microinsurance, we told ourselves, we
have to be willing to take less margins," Mr. Chan said, adding that
today, "the key is to generate volume."
Pioneer Life is keen to continue its tie-up with the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines this year, allowing it to organize
Wellness and Savers Clubs in churches throughout the country.
It also has an ongoing partnership with Center for Agriculture and Rural
Development (CARD), the country's largest microfinance institution. "We
reach 1.7 million people through CARD, and so we can design specific
products for the needs of their group," Mr. Chan said, referring to the
CARD-Microinsurance Agency. The product offers coverage of up to
P100,000 for personal accidents, P20,000 in funeral benefits and P10,000
in property insurance, for an annual premium of only P250. -- Diane
Claire J. Jiao

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CARLOS ANI - International Microfinance Consultant - SEEDFINANCE Corporation Chairman
Mailing address: PO Box 90 UPLB Los Banos Laguna, Philippines 4031
Emails: carlosani@gmail.com , carlosani@seedfinance.net
Landline Phone: +63495010127 (PLDT)
Cellphone Numbers: +639152919580 (Globe) and +639328590859 (Sun)

Websites:
CARLOSANI.COM - http://www.carlosani.com
DEVJOBS - http://www.devjobsmail.com
PHILDEVFINANCE - http://phildevfinance.posterous.com
http://phildevfinance.blogspot.com
Family website - http://www.anifamily.net
SEEDFINANCE Corporation - http://www.seedfinance.net
My News Clippings - http://www.myclipps.posterous.com
Skype name: carlosaniph
-----------------------------------------------------------------------