The Social Enterprise Development Partnerships, Inc. (SEDPI) is a
private organization established on July 30, 2004. It is composed of
young and dynamic social entrepreneurs who were previously employed
in non-government organizations. SEDPI’s niche is to provide
management services for microfinance institutions and microenterprises.
To date, SEDPI has reached out to 120 microfinance institutions in the Philippines, Pakistan,
Laos and Cambodia.
Vision:
Sustainable social enterprise for the economic empowerment of the poor in the
Philippines
Mission:
To be the leading capability-building institution providing innovative and
excellence-driven services for microfinance stakeholders.
Institutional Values:
Social Entrepreneurship
Shared Leadership and Teamwork
Commitment to Innovation and Excellence
Honesty and Transparency
Ateneo – Development Studies
Microfinance Capacity Building Services
Ateneo de Manila University
Loyola Heights, Quezon City
Most of the resource persons of the Ateneo Development Studies
Microfinance Capacity Building Services of the Ateneo de Manila
University are from SEDPI. The Microfinance Capacity Building
Services aims to extend capacity building interventions designed to meet specific needs of
microfinance stakeholders Asia. It also plans to establish knowledge resource base to facilitate
dissemination of information; updates and trends in the microfinance industry.
The Ateneo de Manila University is the premier private university in the Philippines. It seeks to
form persons who, following the teachings and example of Christ, will devote their lives to the
service of their fellowmen and, through the promotion of justice, serve especially those who are
most in need of help: the poor and the powerless. The Development Studies Program seeks to
form competent development professionals who are able to analyze changing social conditions,
and effectively contribute to the continuing effort to improve Philippine society.
The Consuelo Foundation and Peace and Equity Foundation have sponsored participants from all
over the Philippines to attend the training programs. International participants have attended the
training programs and an increasing number of participants from Asian and African countries
have expressed interest to attend. Ateneo Development Studies Microfinance Capacity Building
Services delivers services in English and are designed both for local and international
microfinance stakeholders.
SEDPI SERVICES
Organizational Appraisal pertains to the diagnosis of an organization’s financial performance,
human resource management, information systems, products and services, governance structure,
marketing and general operations. The end goal of the appraisal is to determine capabilitybuilding intervention needs as identified by the organization and expert’s recommendations on
relevant interventions.
Customized Training is developed to suit the needs of organizations. A Training Needs
Assessment is employed to exactly determine gaps that need to be addressed. Customized
training is more cost effective on a per participant ratio. At the same time, interventions directly
address gaps to improve institutional policies and practices in operations. MFIs have the option
to receive Ateneo certificates for customized training.
Technical and Mentoring Assistance is delivered on a mentor-learner approach. Capabilitybuilding interventions are customized to the needs of clients. SEDPI social entrepreneurs closely
supervise and monitor an institution’s progress towards sustainability.
SEDPI facilitates Strategic Planning process that undergoes thorough external and internal
analysis. The end product is a medium-term plan that specifies the vision, mission, objectives,
key result areas, performance indicators, strategies, programs, activities, tasks and resource
requirements. It also conducts researches that employ scientific methods in microfinance and
microenterprises. SEDPI has recently ventured to software development. It envisions to provide
affordable off-the-shelf software that provides extensive information system solution to
microfinance solutions.
TRACK RECORD
2006 Projects Implemented
A training and mentoring assistance was conducted in Tagbilaran, Bohol with Process-Bohol on
January. The training and mentoring assistance provided enlightenment to management staff and
officers as to Process-Bohol’s strategic positioning in microfinance. The first training for the
year of the Ateneo Development Studies Microfinance Capacity Building Services was also
conducted.
The Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement – Camiguin Branch, Cotabato Branch and
Stichting Kapatiran Philippines contracted SEDPI to provide training and mentoring assistance
to their management staff and officers. During the training, both organizations were able to
install an efficient bookkeeping system for client’s individual ledgers using SEDPI’s color-coded
bookkeeping system. They were also able to measure the magnitude of delinquency of their
respective organizations. The three organizations have also finished conducting their market
research. SEDPI assisted the organizations in interpreting the market research results. These
were used to craft the product manual of the organization. The delinquency rate of the
organizations has been steadily declining in the past three months. A financial performance
monitoring system is also being installed.
SEDPI has recently concluded documenting microfinance best practices of cooperatives in the
Philippines. The research project was carried out in partnership with the National Confederation
of Cooperatives, the largest national federation of cooperatives in the Philippines. SEDPI
regularly extends capacity building services to organizations that the Peace and Equity
Foundation supports. These include appraisals, mentoring assistances and subsector research.
Plan International has also accessed the services of SEDPI to evaluate their village-banking
model in Isabela in partnership with Alalay sa Kaunlaran, Inc. It is currently facilitating
community-based business planning for microenterprises in Plan International’s project units. An
impact assessment has also been held for Good Shepherd Home in Legaspi and the Financial
Systems Approach of Alalay sa Kaunlaran, Inc. in partnership with Plan International. It is
currently conducting another impact assessment with Barangka Credit Cooperative through the
Peace and Equity Foundation.
The Bank of the Philippine Islands Foundation is currently under negotiation with SEDPI
through Ateneo de Manila University to implement a capacity building based loans. The
partnership aims to bridge the gap of capacity among microfinance institutions to enable them to
access larger loan funds that will ultimately benefit the poor.
Summary of Trainings Held (2006)
Organization
Process – Bohol
Held in Ateneo de Manila
University
PRRM-Camiguin and
Kapatiran Philippines
Tribal Leaders Development
Foundation, Inc.
Magsaka-CA and Malaya Ka
Held in Ateneo de Manila
University
PRRM-Camiguin, PRRMCotabato and Kapatiran
Philippines
Anak Dagat MPC
Held in Ateneo de Manila
University
PRRM-Camiguin, PRRMCotabato and Kapatiran
Philippines
PALFSI
Held in Ateneo de Manila
University
Plan International
Simbag sa Pag-asenso
Training Course
Delinquency Management with Mentoring
Assistance
Financial Analysis
Date
January 4 – 8
Fundamentals and Principles of Microfinance
with Mentoring Assistance
Mentoring Assistance Phase 1
January 24 – 28
Mentoring Assistance Final Phase
Managing, Supervising and Developing MFI
Staff
Financial Product Design and Development
February 6 – 11
February 16 – 18
Mentoring Assistance Phase 5
Information System Training
Fundamentals and Principles of Microfinance
Product Design and Development
Delinquency Management with Mentoring
Assistance
February 28
March 23 – 25
April 6 – 8
April 20 – 22
April 24 – 28
Monitoring and Evaluation Training
Delinquency Management Training
May 4 – 6
May 11 – 13
Community-Based Participatory Business
Planning for Microenterprises
Delinquency Management Training
May 17 – 20
January 19 – 21
January 30 – February 2
February 21 – 25
May 29 – 31
2005 Projects Implemented
SEDPI has implemented five public courses with the Ateneo de Manila University. The
overwhelming acceptance and satisfaction of participants led to the formalization of the Ateneo
Development Studies Microfinance Capacity Building Services. A total of 52 organizations have
attended the course with an average of 25 participants per training. Both local and international
microfinance stakeholders have attended the courses.
Customized training programs have been implemented as soon as the Ateneo Development
Studies Microfinance Capacity Building Services was launched. These were conducted in Luzon,
Visayas and Mindanao. The participants received Ateneo certificates.
Summary of Trainings Held (2005)
Organization
See List of Participating
Organizations
Alay Buhay Community
Development Foundation
Mindanao Capital Corporation
Sustainable Economic Activity
Development
Kanlungan Centre Foundation
See List of Participating
Organizations
Training Course
Fundamentals and Methodologies in
Microfinance
Financial Product Design and Development
Delinquency Management
Financial Analysis
Delinquency Management
Date
April 7 – 9
April 21 – 23
May 12 – 14
May 26 – 28
July 14 – 16
Delinquency Management
Financial Product Design and Development
August 30 – September 2
September 19 - 21
Strengthening Microfinance Operations
Delinquency Management
September – October
December 8 – 10
SEDPI facilitated the crafting of Kasanyangan Mindanao Foundation – Microfinance Program in
Zamboanga City from May – June 2005. It has also evaluated and assisted in the development of
its microinsurance product. In November, SEDPI assisted the same organization to craft a
capacity building proposal proposal with a donor organization based in the Netherlands. The
funds have been released and the proceeds of the grant amounting to approximately PhP3
Million (USD60,000) are used to buy additional equipment and contract the services of the
Center for Agriculture and Rural Development.
The National Confederation of Cooperatives, the Philippine’s largest federation of cooperatives
contracted SEDPI’s services in October to document microfinance best practices of Philippine
cooperatives. The research involved three leading cooperatives – Novaliches development
Cooperative, Barangka Multipurpose Cooperative and Panabo Multipurpose Cooperative. The
research aims to design appropriate microfinance service delivery for Philippine cooperatives.
In December, SEDPI facilitated a workshop with the Christian Children’s Fund (CCF). The
workshop aimed to provide strategic planning inputs for CCF’s Microenterprise Development
program. In the same month, SEDPI was invited as a reactor to MFI partners of Consuelo
Foundation during its annual general assembly.
Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF) is one of SEDPI’s largest clients. SEDPI was able to
implement several projects with PEF last year. It has implemented a Training and Mentoring
Assistance to five organizations in Southern Luzon – Sandigan ng Magsasaka, Malayang Lapian
ng Kababihan, Magsaka-CA and Joint Enterprise Development for the Indigent. PEF Luzon
Regional Office supports all these organizations. Two of the organizations are currently
undergoing rehabilitation. SEDPI also provided mentoring services to Anak Dagat Multipurpose
Cooperative (ADMPC), a PEF Luzon Regional Office supported cooperative. ADMPC, as a
small cooperative, has demonstrated improvement in its Portfolio at Risk Ratio from 74% to
17%. For 2005, ADMPC was able to post modest financial performance compared to industry
standards. A subsector research to identify the appropriate interventions needed to support
coastal-based microenterprise was also implemented in Iloilo, Bohol and eastern Samar. The
output of the research is now being used to implement identified interventions that goes beyond
microfinance. SEDPI has also conducted appraisals to seven microfinance institutions for PEF.
PROFILE OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS
Mr. Mariel Vincent A. Rapisura is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Social
Enteprise Development Partnerships, Inc. He holds a Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurship for
Social and Development Workers from the Asian Institute of Management. He is currently
enrolled at the Southern New Hampshire University in the United States of America to complete
another Masters Program in Microenterprise Development. In a span of 18 months, he was able
to grow the portfolio of a microfinance program seven-fold from PhP 16 million to PhP 134
million. At the same time, he reduced the Portfolio at Risk Ratio from 54% to 0%. Mr. Rapisura
was also chosen as the national leader of the Philippine delegation to Japan’s 21st Century
Renaissance Leadership Program. Aside from this, he was granted a scholarship by the
Netherlands Embassy to study Rural and Agricultural Finance in the Netherlands. Mr. Rapisura’s
fields of expertise are on social entrepreneurship, financial analysis and conducting mentoring
assistance to microfinance institutions and micro-enterprises. He has conducted and facilitated
various researches in the areas of impact assessment, client satisfaction and program evaluations.
Mr. Rapisura also teaches social entrepreneurship and microfinance at the Ateneo de Manila
University. He also leads the Development Studies Program’s Microfinance Capacity Building
Services that has reached out to 87 MFIs in the Philippines, Pakistan, Cambodia and Laos.
Ms. Agnes B. Raña – Chairperson has a 20-year experience in the social development world.
She has been trained in Malaysia and the United States. Ms. Raña has worked in Vietnam and for
an ADB project in East Timor. She is a mentor and trainer. Her expertise includes institutional
building and delivering capability-building interventions. Ms. Raña is now the representative of
Asia in the pool of trainers of Development Alternatives International, an international
consulting firm.
Mr. Edwin Salonga is a current lecturer at the University of the Philippine’s Extension
Programs in Subic and Clark. Mr. Salonga teaches graduate students taking up business and
public management. He graduated Cum Laude in his bachelor’s degree and now holds a Master’s
Degree in Public Administration, both from the University of the Philippines. He has likewise
conducted performance appraisals and mentoring assistance to microfinance institutions and has
written papers on microfinance for his doctoral program. Mr. Salonga’s expertise is on
organizational development in government and development organizations. He is responsible in
developing training manuals and materials for the Ateneo Development Studies Microfinance
Capacity Building Services. Mr. Salonga has been consistently evaluated and awarded as
excellent in his conduct and delivery of training and mentoring services to MFIs.
Ms. Trina Pineda worked as a volunteer of the Jesuit Volunteers of the Philippines for two
years and was posted in Mindanao. She has also worked for the same organization for two years
while taking her masters degree in industrial psychology at the Ateneo de Manila University. She
is currently working on the enhancement of human resource practices of Meriam College. Ms.
Pineda adds her expertise on research methods and statistical analysis to SEDPI. Her industrial
psychology background and extensive experience on research work were applied in the course of
SEDPI’s conduct of impact assessment with Good Shepherd Home’s and Plan International’s
microfinance initiatives.
Ms. Emilenn Kate D.S. Sacdalan is SEDPI’s program officer. She graduated with two majors
at the Ateneo de Manila University – Development Studies and Economics. She has worked on a
research project commissioned by the National Confederation of Cooperatives to document
microfinance best practices. At the same time, she was also able to deliver training events with
SEDPI in Metro Manila, La Union, Cotabato, Camiguin and Bohol.
Ms. Aleli I. Silva is a software developer by profession. She has designed and rolled out several
software applications to various industries. Recently, she was part of a team in developing an
application for the Philippine Business for Social Progress, one of the biggest non-government
organizations in the Philippines. Ms. Silva has designed a loan monitoring system that produces
timely, accurate and relevant reports to prevent delinquency and aid in decision-making.
Ms. Diana Rodriguez has a degree in Social Work. She has recently been trained in Bangladesh
to master the Association for Social Advancement’s microfinance methodology. She has also
served the British Volunteer Service Organization and was posted for a year in Nigeria. Ms.
Rodriguez has an extensive experience in community organizing and project implementation.
Ms. Raquel Reyes is a current lecturer at the De La Salle University. She has a degree in Social
Work from the University of the Philippines. Ms. Reyes is a prolific writer and has an extensive
experience in project assessments in the development world. She once carried out assessing
microfinance institutions all over the Philippines for the Department of Agrarian Reform. Ms.
Reyes was also trained in India for Financial Analysis under the supervision of the Consultative
Group to Assist the Poorest.
Ms. Aida Batingan holds her expertise in bookkeeping and auditing. Her expertise is on
strengthening internal controls in administrative policies and procedures.
Training Modules
Ateneo-Development Studies
Microfinance Capacity Building Services
Fundamentals and Methodologies in Microfinance
Risk Management, Internal Control and Audit
Delinquency Management
Financial Analysis
Managing, Developing and Supervising MFI Staff
Information System in Microfinance
Market-Based Financial Product Design and Development
Designing and Implementing Microinsurance
Savings and Product Costing
Marketing Microfinance Products and Services
Social Entrepreneurship
Business Planning for Microenterprises