KMBI, through the Training and Advanced Education arm of the Transformational Development and Training Group (TDTG), spearheaded the study visit of 25 microfinance practitioners from India and Nepal.

The organization’s partners, which include Microfinance Council of the Philippines (MCPI) and Asia-Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Association Center for Training and Research in Agricultural Banking (APRACA CENTRAB), selected KMBI as model institution for practitioners to learn about microfinance operations, services, processes and practices in the Philippines.

The first batch of international delegates for 2018 was composed of 11 Nepalese practitioners who visited KMBI Panay Office last January 16 for an orientation on KMBI’s programs, services and loan processes, facilitated by Deputy Executive Director for the Transformational Development and Training Group, Ms. Hazel Christine R. Bayaca.

The delegates also visited Tandang Sora Branch to observe center meeting practices and interact with KMBI Program Members on their second day. Training Director, Mr. Anselmo Edwin B. Aruelo, facilitated the field exposure along with NCR Area Manager, Mr. Jose Archie Cruz and Officers of Tandang Sora Branch.

On the other hand, 14 delegates from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) based in India, boarded on the same exposure program last January 24-25, 2018.

KMBI is a pioneer of a microfinance approach called “trustbank” which has been widely adopted by several other organizations in different countries. The benchmarking allowed the delegates to learn best practices in microfinance as practiced by KMBI, such as the integration of values formation in center meetings as part of loan collection procedures.