In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. (MCPI), key microfinance stakeholders convened for the 2024 MCPI Annual Conference held on August 15-16, 2024 at The Manila Hotel. The event was attended by 500 participants representing microfinance institutions, funders, government institutions, donors, investors, and other developmental organizations. With the theme Celebrating 25 Years of Responsible and Inclusive Finance, participants examined how the microfinance industry in the Philippines has developed a financial system that protects low-income clients while fostering innovations according to their needs.
The two-day conference had three session tracks – Responsible and Inclusive Finance, Environmental Performance Management, and MFI Exchange. The Responsible and Inclusive Finance track allowed participants to discuss topics such as governance and succession planning, client protection, and partnerships while the Environmental Performance Management track enabled attendees to learn about instruments and models for environmental strategies. The MFI Exchange sessions focused on areas such as addressing challenges in changing technologies, managing an intergenerational workforce, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
MCPI Annual Conference
Dr. Jaime Aristotle B. Alip, CARD MRI Founder and Chairman Emeritus and Founding Chair of MCPI, and Former Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, author of the Microfinance NGOs Act, delivered the keynote messages. During the first plenary session, Atty. Charina De Vera-Yap from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and Atty. Rachel Gumtang-Remalante from the Securities and Exchange Commission discussed how regulators have shaped systems and policies for responsible and inclusive finance in the country. Succeeding plenary sessions included topics on digital pathways and the role of funders in financial inclusion. The closing message was given by OIC-Deputy Treasurer of the Philippines, Ms. Ma. Nanette C. Diaz of the Bureau of Treasury.
Preceding the conference, MCPI held its Annual General Meeting on August 14, 2024. Members of the Board of Trustees who took their oath of office were: Mr. Gilbert Maramba of Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation, Inc. as Chairperson; Mr. Eduardo Jimenez of Kabalikat para sa Maunlad na Buhay, Inc. as Vice-Chairperson; Ms. Marilyn Manila of CARD as Corporate Secretary; Ms. Jane Manucdoc of ASKI Microfinance as Treasurer; Mr. Jonar Dorado of RAFI Micro-Finance, Inc. as Internal Auditor; and Mr. Ramil Tan of Community Economic Ventures, Inc., Mr. Dexter Flores of Kabuhayan sa Ganap na Kasarinlan Credit and Savings Cooperative, Fr. Rex Arjona of SEDP-Simbag sa Pag-asenso, Inc., and Mr. Peter Montalban of Taytay Sa Kauswagan, Inc. as Members. The Trustees will serve until July 2025.
Presentations can be downloaded here: https://microfinancecouncil.org/2024-annual-conference-presentation-materials/.
Photos can be accessed here: https://tinyurl.com/2024MCPIConPhotos.