FROM THE MARGINS Aug. 17 to 24 is National Microfinance Week. It remains an important anti-poverty measure, now subsumed under the broader financial inclusion advocacy. With an enabling environment fostered by regulators, the Philippine microfinance industry continues to thrive, serving millions of...
FROM THE MARGINS Two news items made me happy last week: the easing of inflation to a 16th-month low and the continuing improvement of the labor market, with joblessness projected to be reduced next year. Inflation is slowly being managed, but we need to be vigilant about the effects of global...
FROM THE MARGINS It’s typhoon season once again. We need to brace ourselves for torrential rains even as we are still recovering from the havoc caused by Typhoons Egay and Falcon. Aggravated by the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat), these typhoons affected more than 2.3 million people in 4,111...
FROM THE MARGINS I believe that people are put in our lives for a reason. Throughout my life journey, I had been blessed by people who led me through paths that helped me touch the lives of countless others. I have been working with the poor for decades and have seen hope — and hopelessness —...
FROM THE MARGINS President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. will be delivering his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) today. We expect to hear positive reports on his priority programs, particularly on agriculture, energy, infrastructure, technology, tourism, education, tax reform, health, and other...
FROM THE MARGINS I take my hats off to new Insurance Commission (IC) Chief Reynaldo Regalado, who considers microinsurance integral to the Commission’s bid to increase insurance penetration. Microinsurance offers protection tailor-fitted to the poor, with affordable premiums, simple documentary...
FROM THE MARGINS While attending a meeting of the microfinance credit bureau, I was touched when a long-time colleague in the industry told me that he was following my column. He told me, “Aris, you know that we are one of the pioneering MFIs in the country, but over the years, as we expanded, we...
FROM THE MARGINS How do the best microfinance institutions (MFIs) ensure financial sustainability while targeting poor clients? In my last three columns, I wrote about microfinance best practices in empowering clients and training account officers. This time, I would like to focus on the best...
FROM THE MARGINS In microfinance, clients must come first. Microfinance institutions (MFIs) differ from traditional financial institutions because they maintain close relationships with their clients, who are organized into ‘centers’ that meet weekly with their account officers (AOs). The AOs...
FROM THE MARGINS Happy Fathers’ Day! I send greetings to all the husbands and fathers of our microfinance clients, especially the Tatays who have joined our programs to take better care of their families. You are an inspiration to all of us! As the world honored fathers yesterday, I thought of...
FROM THE MARGINS Happy Independence Day! As we commemorate this very important milestone in our nation’s history, let us try to go one step further: to celebrate our independence while also pursuing freedom from poverty. Since microfinance is an important component of poverty eradication, allow...
FROM THE MARGINS Most of us are familiar with loan sharks or “5-6” informal lenders that the poor resort to because they have limited access to finance. Traditional financial institutions usually consider the poor risky borrowers, possessing neither the credit score nor the collateral needed...
