March 24-26, 2010

M-Commerce Summit Asia and

Mobile Phone Banking Site Visit

Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (MABS) Program

The Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (MABS) Program hosted the 3rd Mobile Commerce Summit Asia held in Manila on March 24-25, 2010.

About 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 summit. MABS Chief of Party John Owens chaired the opening session of the two-day conference.

RBAP-MABS is a United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-supported program jointly implemented by the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) and the Rural Bankers Research and Development Foundation (RBRDFI). Oversight of the program is provided by the Office of the President through the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo). It is one of the principal elements of USAID-Philippines’ efforts to accelerate economic growth through expanded participation of lower income groups in productive activities.

RBAP-MABS hosted a mobile phone banking exposure tour for the participants on March 26 to give them first hand experience of the Philippine mobile banking scene.

It included a visit to the Philippine Rural Banking Corporation (PR Bank), one of the leading rural banks and enabler of mobile financial services via GCASH.

The presentation at the bank gave the participants an overview of the mobile phone banking services that they offer.

Assisted by MABS and Globe’s G-Xchange Inc., the participants registered to GCASH.

The participants also experienced cashing in their cash into mobile money (GCASH) at the PR Bank Ortigas branch.

The delegates used their mobile money in purchasing goods and souvenirs from GCASH-accepting merchants at the Greenhills Shopping Center.