The Rural Bank Association of the Philippines has entered into an agreement with two government agencies and a Philippine-German group to help enhance credit access for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The agreement, between the rural bank group, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, the Department of Trade and Industry and the German Technical Cooperation-Small and Medium Enterprise Development for Sustainable Employment Program, calls for a two-part technical assistance covering three pilot areas in the Visayas, namely: Cebu, Negros Occidental and Leyte.
"It is timely to infuse this technical assistance to the rural banks as the sector now aims to support the 10-point agenda of president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, especially on poverty alleviation and employment generation, by augmenting its service to micro- and SMEs that are considered engines of growth for developing countries," said Senen D. Glorioso, the association president...
