News Archive

A growing number of store owners are collaborating with rural banks and connecting to the GCASH network from Cantilan to Butuan City and across the region. These store owners are providing cash-in and cash-out services to support mobile phone banking services as well as mobile money transfer in these areas.

The partnership between RBAP-MABS and G-XChange, Inc. (GXI), Globe Telecom’s wholly owned subsidiary, has helped develop and implement mobile phone banking applications and m-commerce services for rural banks and their clients. Based on a secure GCASH menu, mobile phone banking clients of accredited rural banks can receive loans, make payments and deposits, withdraw funds from their deposit accounts, receive money from relatives and friends, and even buy and sell goods remotely via GCASH.

Merchant-partners provide the opportunity for rural bank clients to conveniently deposit cash into or withdraw cash from their mobile wallets. While rural banks in turn help to manage the liquidity needs of their merchant-partners.

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By: Eric Miller, guest blogger

More than 500 attendees packed into a basketball gymnasium in Cantilan’s town square to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Cantilan Bank. The gala highlighted the banks remarkable growth over the past three decades and underscored the important role microfinance services played in their success.

MABS started working with Cantilan Bank 11 years ago, when it had just three branches and 35 employees. Now, the bank is 260 employees strong with 12 branches across Surigao. The bank-wide loan portfolio grew from around P50M to P652M. The number of microfinance borrowers is 39% of Cantilan’s total borrowers with a client base of over 8,400 hard-working microentrepreneurs, small farmers, and store owners. The number of deposit accounts is 58,522 with P524M in deposits. More importantly, there are 3 depositors to every borrower, and voluntary savings by micro-depositors comprise 50% of total microloans outstanding. Indeed, the bank has grown drastically by continuously evolving to better serve their clients.

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By: Eric Miller, guest blogger

The first panel discussion of the RBAP-MABS National Roundtable Conference, moderated by MABS Chief of Party John Owens, addressed the current trends and challenges in the microfinance industry. Topics ranged from market issues, competition, the regulatory environment and branchless banking.

Ms. Pia Roman-Tayag, the Inclusive Finance Advocacy Staff Head of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), kicked off the panel discussion with a look into the regulatory environment. She began by emphasizing that policy and regulations are not the answer, but they provide the enabling environment and support for the market-based solutions of microfinance. To address the risks of limited technical know-how, inadequate risk management practices and governance issues of the early microfinance era, the BSP set regulations to require banks to develop adequate methodologies, risk management systems and comprehensive governance standards.

Ms. Roman Tayag noted that the current microfinance era has seen a mainstreaming of the industry with commercial investors, new products, technological innovation and a move towards financial inclusion. The current challenges for the banks include the need to find greater efficiencies, become more transparent and develop effective credit underwriting standards. For microfinance clients, she noted that financial literacy and the awareness of consumer rights and redress mechanisms are most important. To meet these new challenges, the BSP must be responsive, especially in light of the new definition of microfinance as addressed earlier in the Governor’s speech. Additionally, BSP will review consumer protection regulations, take action against financial crime and over-indebtedness, and advocate for financial literacy.

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Globe Telecom’s mobile commerce subsidiary, G-Xchange, Inc. (GXI), joined the National Convention of the Rural Banking Association of the Philippines (RBAP) to recognize its top 10 rural bank partners in cooperation with Microenterprise Access to Banking Services Program (MABS) supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). RBAP-MABS has been instrumental in giving clients of rural banks long-term solutions to accessing financial services including mobile banking through GCASH.

The 10 GCASH awardees: Philippine Rural Banking Corporation, Green Bank, Cantilan Bank, GM Bank, 1st Valley Bank, Agribusiness Bank, Bangko Kabayan, Rang-Ay Bank, Card Bank and New Rural Bank of Victorias.

A study group composed of six executives from YQ Bahrain, Movilway and Utiba Americas visited the Philippines on May 16-18 to take a look at Philippine mobile phone banking. Movilway CEO Fernando Fiksman and COO Dan Cohen, as well as YQ Bahrain General Manager Fawaz Ghazal and Board Director Tariq Al Saffar, were accompanied by two representatives from Utiba, the mobile wallet developer that crafted Globe’s GCASH.

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Philippine Star – The New Rural Bank of Victorias together with G-XChange, Inc. (GXI), a wholly-owned mobile commerce subsidiary of Globe Telecom, bring the benefits of mobile banking services to communities in Visayas benefiting individuals like Ate Evelyn.

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Computer World — As the texting capital of the world averaging more than two billion text messages a day, the Philippines is predicted to become the leader in mobile commerce.

John Owens, a well-known microfinance expert who serves as chief of party to Microenterprise Access to Banking Services, said with around 76 million mobile phone subscriptions in the Philippines, it is more than double than all the country’s bank accounts of 33 to 34 million. He said that potentially today people can be provided with financial services just by using the phone.

“Mobile commerce reaches all levels of society. From those who are considered the unbank (people with no bank accounts), to rural household where the whole infrastructures putting ATMs, and physical bank networks won’t reach — the mobile phone does,” Owens said, adding there are tremendous opportunities being seen worldwide about the growth of the mobile commerce industry, especially MMS (multimedia messaging service) which is now reaching almost half of the globe’s population.

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Close to a hundred stakeholders and leaders of the Asian mobile commerce industry – bankers, mobile network operators, mobile commerce providers, and third-party solutions providers – attended the 3rd Mobile Commerce Summit Asia. The Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines-Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (RBAP-MABS) Program Chief of Party, Mr. John Owens, chaired the opening session of the two-day conference held on March 24-25 at the Crowne Plaza in Manila.


He provided the participants a snapshot of the thriving Asian mobile commerce industry, focusing on developments in the Philippines where Globe and Smart Communications continue to be two of the leading pioneers in mobile money and mobile commerce in the region. He also shared the experiences of rural banks, which have not only utilized mobile money platforms to expand access to banking services, but have also promoted mobile commerce for microenterprise clients.

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RBAP-MABS Chief of Party will chair and open the 3rd Mobile Commerce Summit Asia on Wednesday March 24 at the Crown Plaza Galleria in Ortigas City. The Summit will include bankers, mobile network operators, mobile commerce providers, and third-party solutions providers who will share the futuristic exploration of next generation mobile commerce services in Asia. Mobile commerce is already a multi-billion dollar industry that is set to expand exponential in the coming decade.

The Philippines is the perfect location to host this event as it is home to Globe and Smart Telecommunications, two of the leading pioneers in mobile money and mobile commerce in the world. The conference will focus on the growth of mobile commerce, mobile payments and near field communication focus streams, the importance of partnerships and collaboration, creating new dimensions for mobile commerce and overcoming challenges, and mobile money transfer and mobile banking services. In line with the mission of providing a worthy experience to all participants of 3rd Mobile Commerce Summit Asia in the Philippines, RBAP along with PR Bank, one of the leading rural banks and enabler of mobile financial services via GCASH, will be conducting a study tour that will feature the real scenario on how mobile money and mobile banking. The study tour will end with a visit to Greenhills Shopping Center to introduce participants to mobile commerce services being used by small merchants in the Philippines.

Taking its part in the promotion of effective use of modern technology in microfinance, MABS shared its mobile phone banking experiences during the M-Commerce World Summit 2010 held on March 17-18 in Singapore.

The summit covered mobile money transfer & mobile money remittance, mobile payment and NFC technologies, mobile banking, banking the unbanked & microfinance services, and mobile marketing and advertising. It has highly regarded expert speakers and panelist representing M-Commerce Ecosystem from Europe, Africa, Asia and the United States – including Philippines from Globe/GXI and the Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (MABS) Program.

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After two successful sessions for Luzon banks in Pampanga and Tagaytay, MABS conducted a mobile phone banking accreditation training for Visayas and Mindanao banks on March 17 at the Sarrosa International Hotel and Residential Suites in Cebu City.

Twenty-two participants from 13 MABS participating banks attended the training.

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Philippine Star - Belgacom International Carrier Services (BICS), a leading global provider of voice, data and value added services and G-Xchange (GXI), the mobile-commerce subsidiary of Globe Telecommunications Inc., have signed an agreement to expand GXI’s existing number of remittance corridors, using BICS’ HomeSend Remittance Hub.

The HomeSend service, created in partnership with eServGlobal, provides a mobile-centric approach to international remittance. It allows subscribers of any mobile operator connected to HomeSend to transfer money electronically via a cellular phone to a GCASH subscriber.

This new cooperation, therefore, provides increased choice and convenience for Filipinos living or working overseas when sending money home to their families and friends in the Philippines. READ MORE

Philippine Star - The Philippines is recognized among the leaders in developing mobile banking for the unbanked. Mobile banking utilizes the mobile phone to extend banking services such as deposits, withdrawals including remittances or money transfer, bills payments, and loan payments.

Telecommunications companies (telcos), such as Smart Communications (Smart) and Globe Telecommunications (Globe), were one of the first worldwide to start mobile money. Smart started in 2001 through Smart Money, and Globe followed soon after in 2004 with GCash.

But one of the leaders in terms of reach and number of subscribers is M-PESA of Kenya. It has 8.6 millions active users or 25 percent of the country’s population, and monthly person-to-person transactions worth over $320 million with average of $37 per user per month.

The telcos have put up systems that cater to the average bank users to the poorer segment of society that do not have banking relationships often referred to as the unbanked, as well as the under-banked that undertake limited banking services. READ MORE

In continuing support to the mobile phone banking services (MPBS) of GCASH accredited rural banks, the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (MABS) Program supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with Globe Telecom’s mobile commerce subsidiary, G-Xchange Inc. (GXI), launched a Mobile Phone Banking Marketing Program this year.

Supported by Globe, this program is an incentive-based initiative intended for the microfinance merchant-clients of GCASH accredited rural banks to help support the more active promotion of mobile phone banking services by utilizing merchants to promote and assist clients in learning how to make use of mobile phone banking services. READ MORE

MABS successfully conducted the second of this year’s mobile phone banking accreditation trainings on March 3 in Tagaytay, Batangas. Twenty-nine participants from 18 Luzon-based rural banks, five of which are already accredited to offer mobile phone banking services (MPBS) via Globe’s GCASH platform, attended the training.

Through the training, qualified rural banks can obtain accreditation to offer GCASH and apply to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) for authorization to offer MPBS. MABS provided the participants with a detailed workshop on the MPBS implementation process, mobile phone banking step-by-step procedures, and sets of MPBS manuals. Read more »

Guagua Rural Bank (GR Bank) officially joins the Philippine mobile phone banking community as it formalized its partnership with G-Xchange Inc. in utilizing the GCASH platform to facilitate its mobile phone banking services (MPBS).

Developed under the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines-Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (RBAP-MABS) program, MPBS involves the use of mobile phones in performing bank transactions such as deposits, withdrawals, remittances and loan payments, among others.

Facilitated by the USAID-supported RBAP-MABS program, GR Bank signed a memorandum of agreement with G-XChange, Inc., Globe Telecom’s mobile commerce subsidiary, on February 18 during the Central Luzon Federation of Rural Bank Management Conference in Hotel Stotsenberg, Clarkfield, Angeles City, Pampanga.

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1st Valley Bank together with G-Xchange Inc. (GXI), the wholly-owned mobile commerce subsidiary of Globe Telecom, brings the benefits of mobile banking services to Filipinos in Mindanao.

Working closely with the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) and Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (MABS), a program supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), 1st valley bank helps Mindanao by making banking products and services even more accessible to clients. Read more

The Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (MABS) Program supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) conducted a mobile phone banking accreditation training course at Montevista Villas, Clark Field, Angeles City on February 17.

Held in partnership with G-Xchange, Inc. (GXI), Globe Telecom’s mobile commerce subsidiary, the training was attended by 21 participants from 10 Central Luzon rural banks. Read more »

The Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) projects a substantial increase in mobile phone banking services this year as G-Xchange, Inc. (GXI) plans to activate Globe Telecom’s nationwide sub distributer network of over 18,000 cash-in and cash-out outlets.

Combined with the mobile phone banking services developed by USAID-supported RBAP-MABS program, this will provide the rural banks with a virtual ATM network that more than doubles the current count of about 8,000. “We see this as an opportunity to leapfrog the rural banking sector’s outreach in the countryside and we are gearing up to accomplish this in 2010,” said RBAP President Joseph Omar Andaya. READ MORE