Responsible and Client-Centered Microfinance Conference

1. 2012 MCPI Annual ConferenceFocusing on Responsible and Client-Centered Microfinance Hyatt Hotel, Manila, 26-27 July 2012

2. 4 Plenary sessions • Poverty situation in the Philippines / Poverty outreach of microfinance institutions • Understanding multiple borrowing in microfinance • Creating an enabling environment for client-centered microfinance • National microfinance client mapping initiative

3. 2 Breakout sessions with 3 topics each • Day 1 Beyond Credit: Products and Services for Microfinance Clients • Value chain finance • Savings products for microfinance • Financial education • Day 2 Addressing the Risks and Vulnerabilities of Clients • Disaster risk reduction and management • Avoiding over-indebtedness • Truth and transparency in lending

4. Poverty situation in the Philippines / Poverty outreach of microfinance institutions • Poverty situation (2009) • Poverty incidence of 26.5 percent (1/4 of population) or 23.14 million Filipinos are poor • Region VII (10.8%), V (10%) and VI (9%) with biggest share of total poor families • Poorest among basic sectors are the fishers (41.4%), farmers (36.7%) and children (35%)

5. Poverty situation in the Philippines / Poverty outreach of microfinance institutions • Poverty outreach (covering 10 MFIs) • Basic question: Are MFIs reaching the poor people? • Generally low levels of penetration • Widening gap between poverty concentration and rural poverty incidence • MFIs serving the most number of poor households have relatively lower poverty concentrations • How to reach the poor? • Modify product and look at the client’s potential business and capacity to pay • Get the list of poor HH from DSWD • Use the PPI for targeting as well as tracking performance

6. National microfinance client mapping initiative • 112 MFIs; mapped out 1.3 million clients • About 54% of served barangays in urban areas and 66 % in rural areas are saturated and over-saturated, respectively. • About 40% of urban barangays and 53% of rural barangays have no outreach. • No evidence of policy amongst MFIs to serve the poorer municipalities • There are municipalities served by 10 or more MFIs while there are municipalities with none. • High concentration of MFIs resulting in large outreach could likely lead to multiple borrowings

7. Understanding multiple borrowing in microfinance • Basic question: Is there cause for concern about multiple borrowing? • Branch client data (Commonwealth) • Average of 14% of clients of MFI branches • 77-78% if including borrowing from other sources • No strong evidence of multiple borrowing to specific characteristics and to delinquency • FGD results • Vibrant lending and borrowing sectors emerging • Prospects and risks with clients • Interest rates are increasing despite competition

8. Creating an enabling environment for client-centered microfinance • Government has put in place adequate policies from financial inclusion to consumer protection in the area of microfinance in past decades • There are also private fund providers with a conscience • Financial education is key • Challenge now is for MFIs and other service providers to comply with the policies

9. Value chain finance • Various modes • GDMPC’s as enabler for fisher-clients • LBP’s food supply chain program as financier in various stages of the value chain • Insol as BDS provider for potential entrepreneurs • Cover value chain development when one talks of value chain finance • Creating value for the low income producers

10. Savings products for microfinance • BPI Globe BanKO • Technology driven but cost-efficient way of mobilizing savings/deposits • Cantilan Bank – Microsavings • Savings for IPs • Money for health, education etc. • With financial education, e.g. how to save and budget

11. NWTF Customer Service Department Separate department that conducts training for borrowers No fixed venue but where convenient Borrowers are invited to attend the training CARD-MRI Development Institute Trains team of trainers, including loan officers Conduct of training during center meetings Required attendance to training Financial educationAppropriateness of method to conduct financial education

12. Disaster risk reduction and management • With high probability of risk in disaster, the objective is to lower the risk by increasing the capacity of the community; responses may be short term or long term • MFIs are encouraged to establish protocols and policies to follow during disasters and emergencies. Framework must include: mitigation, preparedness, response, rehabilitation/recovery • Also recommended is to develop a comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Framework, focused on pre-event and post-event protocols and policies.

13. Kasagana –Ka Example of intervention: design of multiple products, product innovations, client protection strategies, culture of service for the staff Networking as core strategy (one-stop shop) ASKI Practices: build long-term relationships with clients, understand financial need of clients, offering other support aside from microcredit (e.g, micro-insurance, health, sanitation, marketing of clients’ products) Avoiding over-indebtedness

14. Truth and transparency in lending • Requires the participation of all credit-granting institutions, including the clients, for a level-playing field • Win-win situation both for the clients and institutions because it will foster responsible finance, transparency and better treatment of clients • Importance: with clear understanding of true costs of borrowing, informed clients will be able to make informed decisions

15. RB branching for MF operations • Microfinance-oriented banks • Rediscounting line for MFIs • EO 138 Enabling Environment MFI • Credit with savings • Micro-insurance • OFW Remittances MFI clients Poverty Situation

16. RB branching for MF operations • Microfinance-oriented banks • Rediscounting line for MFIs • EO 138 • BSP circular 680 • Financial learning centers • BSP circular 730, 754, 755 Enabling Environment MFI MFI MFI clients • Credit with savings • Micro-insurance • OFW Remittances • Savings products • Value chain finance • BDS e.g., financial education • Approach to disaster mitigation • Avoidance of client over-indebtedness MFI Poverty Situation

17. Continuing challenges • Still many underserved areas; challenge to MFIs is to target clients and come up with the right business model • What can the role of other stakeholders be to support the MFIs • There is hence a call for responsible microfinance especially in saturated and oversaturated areas

18. What is Responsible Finance? • EU • Transparent and equitable delivery of financial services which benefit society at large • Fully disclosed, priced fairly, adapted to clients • ICCO • Avoids harmful or unfair treatment of clients • Balance clients interests with providers (MFIs/Investors) • Balance people, planet, profit • Meeting triple bottomline • BSP • Shared responsibilty (multi-stakeholder) • A responsible financial institution is strong, stable, transparent, inclusive and consumer-friendly

19. Responsible Microfinance • Transparent pricing • Avoiding over indebtedness • Product adapted to clients needs • Responsible investments

20. Client-Centered Microfinance It's about the poor clients who need to have access to financial and non-financial services to alleviate their poverty and improve their lives