Seven seminars on "Risk-Based SME Lending" has been held by the Small Business Corporation (SBC) during the past 8 months across the country. They were held in Naga, Baguio, Makati, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Tacloban and Davao. These seminars focuses on installing a "Borrower Risk Rating" (BRR) system within the bank or cooperative institution. This helps the bank or cooperative to measure, identify, and manage credits risks.
These seminars were sponsored by the Small Business Corporation - the lead government agency advocating for greater bank lending to micro, small and medium enterprises in the country. The seminars were partially funded by KFW Banking Group, which has provided some loans and technical assistance grants to SBC.
The trainors for these courses - Mr. Carlos Ani and Mrs Celenita Francisco - found that there is a big demand among local banks for this kind of seminar because it prepares them for the new paradigm of risk-based banking, as advocated by Basel II and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
