1. March 24-26, 2010
M-Commerce Summit Asia
and
Mobile Phone Banking Site Visit
Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (MABS) Program
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. The presentation at the bank gave the
participants an overview of the mobile
phone banking services that they offer.
7. Assisted by MABS and Globe’s G-
Xchange Inc., the participants
registered to GCASH.
8. The participants also experienced
cashing in their cash into mobile
money (GCASH) at the PR Bank
Ortigas branch.
9. The delegates used their mobile money
in purchasing goods and souvenirs from
GCASH-accepting merchants at the
Greenhills Shopping Center.