General Objectives

The courses are designed to achieve the following general objectives:

1. develop effective loan officers who can improve accessibility of credit and finance-related support facilities for SMEs;
2. upgrade the skills of lending officers in project identification and promotion, pre-feasibility studies, project appraisal, supervision and remedial management.
3. Provide "hands-on" experience in development finance at Plantersbank and selected branches in the countryside.

Training Approach and Methodologies

Each training program contains the following key features and approaches: classroom preparation, branch immersion, and Back-Home Action Plan (BHAP) formulation and follow-up services.

1.0 Classroom Preparation

1.1 Lectures/Classroom Discussions

The training program begin with lecture-discussions which provides the conceptual framework and a detailed step-by-step approach to the various phases of SME development and financing. Group dynamics and action-learning exercises are utilized to complement the classroom lectures and discussions.

1.2 Case Studies

To apply the conceptual framework and the analytical techniques learned, case studies from the loan portfolio of Plantersbank and other banks are extensively used.

2.0 Branch Immersion

The culminating activity of the program is the "hands-on" exercise conducted at Plantersbank Head Office and branches where the participants are required to perform SME financing responsibilities from market identification to remedial management.

3.0 Back-Home Action Planning

Towards the end of the training program, participants develop action plans that explain how they intend to apply their "new learnings" in SME lending in their respective back-home situations. Six months after the training program, the PDCenter follow-up each participant:

To determine the extent to which the BHAP is implemented and the attendant problems encountered and to determine the necessary actions to be undertaken;

To evaluate the effectivity of the training program based on the ability of the trainees to apply the knowledge and skills learned during the training programs.

Training Programs Conducted (as of December 2007)

1. Briefing on SME Lending for Senior Bank Officers of Enterprise Bank (Mindanao). August 2007

2. Attachment Training for Branch Managers of Federated States of Micronesia Development Bank. May 21 – June 8, 2007

3. Seminar Workshop on Assessing Credit Risk of SME Projects. November 14-18, 2006

4. Study Tour Program on SME & Financing for Asaka Bank (Uzbekistan) and SIDBI (India). April 24-26, 2006

5. Study Tour on SME & Micro Finance Institutions in the Philippines for FORUT Sri Lanka. January 22-26, 2006

6. Study Visit Program for Cambodia Entrepreneur Building (CEB) Limited. Makati City, Philippines. September 19 – 20, 2005

7. Small Business Credit Training for ShoreCap Exchange International. Makati City, Philippines. September 12 –16, 2005.

8. National SME Program for Cambodia. In collaboration with ADFIAP and the Rural Development Bank of Cambodia. Phnom Penh, Cambodia. May 30 – June 3, 2005.

9. Training the Trainers Workshop on FX Risk Management for Bangladesh Bank (Central Bank) and SEDF. Dhaka, Bangladesh. March 12-24, 2005.

10. Training of Trainers (TOT) Workshop on Foreign Exchange Risk Management for Bangladesh Bank and SEDF. August 14-20 & 21-26, 2004. Dhaka, Bangladesh.

11. General Orientation Program on Anti Money Laundering for Bangladesh Bank and SEDF. May 26-31, 2004. Dhaka, Bangladesh.

12. General Orientation Program on Credit Risk Management for Bangladesh Bank and SEDF. May 17-20 & 22-25, 2004. Dhaka, Bangladesh.

13. Pilot Program on Anti Money Laundering for Bangladesh Bank (Central Bank) and SEDF. March 29 - 30, 2004 & March 31 - April 01, 2004. Dhaka, Bangladesh.

14. General Orientation Program on Foreign Exchange Risk Management (2nd Run) for Bangladesh Bank (Central Bank) and SEDF. March 16 - 20 & March 21 - 24, 2004. Dhaka, Bangladesh.

15. Pilot Program on Credit Risk Management for Bangladesh Bank (Central Bank) and SEDF. March 8 - 10 & March 13 - 15, 2004. Dhaka, Bangladesh.

16. Pilot Program on Foreign Exchange Risk Management for Bangladesh Bank (Central Bank) and SEDF. January 18 - 27, 2004. Dhaka, Bangladesh.

17. Workshop on Credit Operations for SMEs at Planters Development Bank for Selected Commercial Banks in Bangladesh. Sponsored by South Asia Enterprise Development Facility (SEDF), Bangladesh. Manila, Philippines. November 3-7, 2003

18. Attachment Program on SME Development Finance at Planters Development Bank for Mr. Peter Aldis, Senior Loan Officer of the Federated States of Micronesia Development Bank (FSMDB). May to June 2002. Makati City.

19. Best Practices in SME Lending and Credit. Conducted for the South Asia Enterprise Development Facility of IFC in Dacca, Bangladesh. June 2002.

20. SME Project Lending Course for the Association of Banks in Cambodia in cooperation with MPDF-Cambodia Regional Office. November 27- December 1, 2001, Cambodia Mekong Bank, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

21. Special Attachment Program on Treasury & Trust Products for the Fiji Development Bank. October 7, 2001. Makati City.

22. Project Supervision & Remedial Management for East Africa Development Bank. February - March 2001. Republic of Uganda.

23. SME Project Lending Course for 9 Private Joint Stock Banks in Vietnam in cooperation with MPDF. November 20-25, 2000 (Sacombank for Ho Chi Minh City-based Branches) and November 27 - December 2, 2000 (Techcombank for Hanoi-based Branches).

24. Special Projects Course for MPDF Investment Officers. June 12-17, 2000. Daewoo Hotel, Hanoi, Vietnam.

25. Attachment Program on SME Development Finance at Planters Development Bank for Ms. Anna H. Mendiola, Chief Financial Officer of the Federated States of Micronesia Development Bank (FSMDB). October 16-November 3, 2000. Makati City.

26. Observation Visit Program on SME Development Finance for Saigon Commercial Bank (SACOMBANK) at Planters Development Bank. November 14-16, 2000. Makati City.

27. Attachment Program on SME Development Finance Training at Planters Development Bank for Bhutan Development Finance Corporation. July 2000. Makati City.

28. Observation Visit Program on SME Development Finance for Hanoi Building Bank (HABUBANK) at Planters Development Bank. June 20-23, 2000. Makati City.

29. Project Appraisal and Supervision for East Africa Development Bank. May 8-21, 2000. Republic of Uganda.

30. Project Supervision and Remedial Management. (International Offering). May 11 - June 12, 1997. Manila, Philippines.

31. Project Appraisal and Monitoring Course (International Offering). June 26 - July 17, 1997. Manila, Philippines.

32. Project Appraisal and Monitoring Course for National Development Bank of Sri Lanka and the World Bank. October 3-31, 1995. Manila, Philippines.

33. Two-week Attachment Training for Key Officers of the Network Leasing Corporation Limited of Karachi, Pakistan. February/November 1995. Manila, Philippines.

34. Project Supervision and Remedial Management. (International Offering) March 1-28, 1995. Manila, Philippines.

35. Project Appraisal and Monitoring (International Offering) October - November 1994. Manila, Philippines.

36. PDB Lending Officers Training (PLOT). August-September 1994. Manila, Philippines.

37. Internship Program on Development Banking for China Agribusiness Development and Trust Company. June - September 1994. Manila, Philippines.

38. Project Appraisal and Monitoring Course for Bank Danahutama (Indonesia). February - March 1994. Manila, Philippines.

39. Project Appraisal and Monitoring Course for Pakistan Banking Council (PBC). February - March 1993. Manila, Philippines.

40. Project Appraisal and Monitoring Course for SEDU/Industrial Bank of Yemen. March-April 1993., Manila, Philippines.

41. Project Monitoring and Management Information System. March - April 1993. Manila, Philippines.

42. Workshop on Effective Credit Delivery System for DFD and Cendhrra. March 1993. Manila, Philippines.

43. Reorientation of Kenyan Commercial Banks for Small Enterprise Lending. A Study Tour Programme for UNDP/ILO. April 1993. Manila, Philippines.

44. Appreciation Course on Development Banking for Bangladesh Rural Development Board. January 1993. Manila, Philippines.

45. Business Evaluation and Supervision Training. (International Offering). October 1992. Manila, Philippines.

46. Loan Management Attachment Training for Rastriya Banijya Bank of Nepal. October-November 1992. Manila, Philippines.

47. Small Enterprises and Entrepreneurship Development for NGOs. May-June 1992. Manila, Philippines

48. Small Enterprises and Entrepreneurship Development for RICP/Punjab Small Industry Corporation. October-November 1992. Manila, Philippines.

49. Small Enterprise Project Evaluation and Appraisal for SEDU/Industrial Bank of Yemen. November-December 1991. Manila, Philippines.

50. Seminar on Small and Medium Enterprises. December 1991. Manila, Philippines.