More than three years ago, Tacloban was devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda. But despite this , Tacloban has shown significant growth; the Taclobanons became more resilient, stronger and inspired to continue their lives.

With CARD Bank’s advocacy to drive growth and development to the community of Tacloban, it started its financial literacy workshop dubbed CARDEESKWELA in San Jose Elementary School and Kapang-ian Elementary School on March 21-23, 2017. Over 130 students from two schools in Tacloban benefited from the program.

CARD Bank believes CARDEESKWELA will help the community in equipping the children of Tacloban with a significant life skill that will shape their financial future. The need for prudent money management becomes increasingly crucial after the challenges they went through.

“We encouraged the children to have a PB (Passbook) account rather than spending their time on FB (Facebook) account. In CARD Bank, opening a savings account with passbook for children (MAAGAP Account) is very affordable. Children can start saving in small amount and continuously save some of their allowances. As it accumulates, they can use it for their dreams and in times of need,“ said Lorenza dT. Bañez, executive vice president of CARD Bank.

The primary level students were guided in making simple decisions on how to wisely save, spend and share their money and resources during the workshop. They also took the oath of commitment to helping their families lessen their expenses through responsible management of their own money. The workshop was also made extra fun through interactive games, simulations and exciting treats for kids.

CARD Bank, Inc. continues to innovate programs and activities to help CARD MRI’s mission in eradicating poverty.

PHOTO GALLERY OF CARDEEKWELA IN TACLOBAN

San Jose Elementary School

Kapangian Elementarty School

Driven by its mission to create a vehicle for assets ownership for the poor, CARD Bank continuously expands its network in Panay Island as it opens its 82^nd branch last April 3, 2017, located at New Site, San Miguel, Jordan, Guimaras (Jordan Branch). Along with this, on the same day, CARD Bank also opened its 81^st branch in Siaotong St., Ilaud Poblacion, Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo City (Barotac Nuevo Branch).

Ms. Lorenza dT.Bañez, Executive Vice President, CARD Bank, Inc., and Ms. Lourdes B. Dijan, Executive Vice President for Finance, CARD Bank, Inc., management committee members and staff, and attended the grand opening.

“For the information of new members, CARD MRI is composed of 14 Mutually Reinforcing Institutions. Four of these institutions provide financial access for the poor and CARD Bank is the first microfinance-oriented rural bank that has evolved from a non-government organization (NGO),” Ms. Dijan said.

CARD Bank established their presence in Panay Island to empower socio-economically challenged women and their families. The institution offers both financial services and non-financial services. “We are expecting current microfinance members to encourage more individuals to join. CARD Bank is ready to serve them,” she added.

As CARD Bank celebrates its 20^th year on September, Ms. Dijan, said that CARD Bank continues to expand in unbanked towns and islands in the country. “Before the year ends, CARD Bank will open another branch in Midsayap in Cotabato and Malita in Davao to reinforce its presence in Mindanao.”

As of February 2017, CARD Bank, Inc., has over 610 offices including 82 branches, and 527 Micro-Banking Offices (MBO’s) and Micro-Banking Units (MBU’s) located nationwide and its head office in San Pablo City, Laguna, over 3,524 staff in the Philippines and serves more than 2 million clients across the country.

Photo Gallery of CARD Bank Branch Openings in Panay Island

Barotac Nuevo Branch

Jordan Branch

With its goal to provide financial access to socioeconomically challenged Filipinos, CARD Bank opens its first branch this year in 389 M.L. Quezon St. Brgy. Gregorio Loreto Sr., Baybay City, Leyte on March 20, 2017.

“CARD Bank is pleased to open and provide financial services to Baybay and its adjacent communities. As a Microfinance Oriented Rural Bank, we are here to continuously give access to every family our financial and non-financial services”. Ms. Lorenza dT. Bañez, executive vice president of CARD Bank, said.

Continuous Access to Financially Inclusive Services

“We believe that we are here to serve and eventually eradicate poverty. We want to help the women have an access to financially inclusive services and yet have a better family income”, Bañez said.

CARD Bank is a microfinance-oriented rural bank catering to the needs of more than two million unserved and underserved families in the country. It gives micro loans, savings products and remittance services that would help its clients improve their lives.

We would like our clients to enjoy the best banking services that we could offer. Thus, we also offer transfer of ownership of capital to qualified members whereby member can buy shares of stocks through transfer of their compulsory savings as payment for shares of stocks. In return, stockholders can receive annual dividends. In addition, to emphasize participation by the clients in the policy formulation and governance, clients sit on the Board of Directors of CARD Bank”, Bañez added.

Financial literacy

CARD Bank provides financial literacy to its clients. Bañez also shared that they wanted to improve the lives of their clients not only through financial products but also through financial education. The banking institution delivers Credit with Education (CwE) to help its clients make efficient investments in health, education, or in income-generating activities.

“We believe that education plays an important role to raise economic and social development in our clients,” Bañez shared.

CARD Bank and poverty eradication

The Baybay branch has an initial 1,000 transferred clients from CARD, Inc., a microfinance NGO and a member a member institution of CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI). Through the help of other institutions under CARD MRI, where CARD Bank is also a member, it provides microinsurance products, health, education, livelihood, and other capacity-building programs.

“We provide a holistic approach for the social and economic development of our clients. We always dream for a zero poverty country,” Bañez said.

Allyn B. Soller shared her experience with CARD, “CARD provides a lot of benefits to my family. Through CARD, I was able to send my two children to college who are now professionals. My youngest child is also a CARD scholar and I am also a stockholder of CARD

Bank.” She advises her co-members to build the right character, have discipline and sense of responsibility as a member of CARD for them to succeed on their business.

Photo Gallery of CARD Bank Baybay Branch Opening

Last January 26, 2017, CARDEEskwela went to Sta. Cruz, Elementary School, Brgy. Sta. Cruz, Bay, Laguna. Sixty-two (62) selected students from the said school together with the B.S. Entrepreneur students from CARD-MRI Development Institute (CMDI) attended the workshop that aims to transform the mindset of the youth on financial management. The program also aspires to establish a mutual relationship between CARD Bank and various schools from all over the country.

While the workshop was meant to help the elementary kids to learn how to make money-based decisions during tough times or emergencies, it also served as an exposure to the B.S. Entrepreneur students of CMDI. The CMDI students experienced how CARD Bank conducts its on-ground savings mobilization campaign for kids through CARDEEskwela. The students acted as if they were the “Ate” and “Kuya” of the participants, who guided the kids during the entire workshop. The workshop was also made extra fun through interactive games, simulations and exciting treats for kids.

 
It has been noticeable that all participants of the CARDEEskwela since its launch in 2014 increased their savings balances and frequency of deposits. To date, there are more than 160,000 kids with Maagap Savings Account. Exciting plans are underway for the CARDEEskwela School Tour for various schools in different regions in the country. Further, CARD Bank continues to develop financial education programs suited for teens, employees and members.

Below:

Photo gallery of the workshop

Driven by its mission of creating a vehicle for assets ownership for the poor, CARD Bank, Inc. opened its 76th branch at Masagana Highway, Kabacan, North Cotabato.

“By bringing this formal banking services closer to the marginalized sector, we, at CARD Bank, are certain that they will gain control over their own resources and over their own destiny,” President and CEO Marivic Austria said.

In the recent data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in June 2016, 589 cities and municipalities in the country remain unbanked. Forty one percent of these are in Mindanao.

Envisioning a poverty-free county, President and CEO Austria said that CARD Bank continues to expand in unbanked towns and islands in the country. “Before the year ends, CARD Bank will open another branch in Kidapawan to reinforce its presence in Mindanao.”

In an interview,Dr. Jaime Aristotle Alip, founder and managing director of CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI), to which CARD Bank is one of the member institutions, said that the continuous expansion of the institution in Mindanao is parallel to what the current administration is doing in terms of eradicating poverty not only in Mindanao, but nationwide.

The newly established bank will also cater to clients from nearby municipalities. CARD Bank offers accessible banking services for loans and savings along with different social development projects such as health and education services, through the other member-institutions of CARD MRI.

Kabacan is the 7th branch of CARD Bank in Mindanao. CARD Bank opened its first branch in Magallanes, Davao City in October 2007. Recently, two branches were also inaugurated in the Cities of Tagum, Davao del Norte and Mati, Davao Oriental.

As of October 2016, CARD Bank is serving almost 2-Million clients with P9-Billion total asset, 579 offices, and 3,433 total staffing nationwide. The CARD MRI Banking Group, which includes CARD Bank, is the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ financial inclusion champion.

CARD Bank, a microfinance-oriented rural bank and a member institution of social development organization, CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI), expands banking services to more families as it opens branches in Tagum City, Davao Del Norte and Mati, Davao Oriental on November 7, 2016.

“CARD Bank expands and continues to strengthen its presence here in Davao to provide quality banking experience to our clients who mostly came from unbanked areas,” said Marivic Austria, CARD Bank President and CEO adding that the bank will provide more accessible banking services and a wide array of social development services with the help of other CARD MRI Institutions.

CARD Bank has already six branches in Mindanao particularly in Davao, Buhangin, Matina, Malalag and the two new branches opened. Austria announced that CARD Bank will open two more branches in Kabakan and Kidapawan before the year ends and eyes to open three more branches in Nabunturan, Midsayap, and Malita in Mindanao in the first quarter of 2017.

In the recent data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on June 2016, 589 cities and municipalities in the country remains unbanked in which 243 comes from Mindanao. “We choose to step up and bring our banking products and services to reach and serve the unserved and underserved communities,” said Austria.

Dr. Jaime Aristotle Alip, the founder and managing director of CARD MRI shared that the continuous opening of CARD Bank branches parallel to the President’s thrust to further develop Mindanao.

As it upholds the mission of CARD MRI to uplift the lives of the poor, CARD Bank provides various loans and savings products appropriate to the needs of its clients and also offers financial education to help its clients do beneficial investments.

About 1,000 CARD, Inc. clients were transitioned to have access to the products and services offered by CARD Bank. CARD, Inc. is a microfinance non-government organization and also a member institution of CARD MRI.

Joseliza Sanchez, a CARD member for two years, shared that CARD brings true help to the poor Filipino families as it gives them financial assistance and assist them in sending their children to school.

Alip envisions a poverty-free country through financial inclusive programs and services implemented with sustainable community development programs. CARD MRI, with about 4 million members nationwide, plans to reach eight million clients and insure 40 million individuals through its insurance companies in 2020.

CARD Bank is now serving almost two million clients as of September 2016 and is also BSP’s hall of fame awardee for financial inclusion.

In its drive to assist more Filipino families to become financially inclusive, CARD Bank, a microfinance-oriented rural bank opens branch in Mckinley Road, Zone 7, Bangued, Abra on November 7, 2016.

“It is our steadfast belief that providing the poor with a more financially inclusive economic environment is significant key towards poverty eradication,” CARD Bank Executive Vice President for Finance Lourdes Dijan said. “The continuous expansion of CARD Bank is an implementation of that belief. We aim to reach and serve more people who are excluded from our financial systems,” Dijan added.

Dijan shared that through savings, their clients will gain more control of their lives. “We want to help our clients to move out from poverty by giving them not only financial access but also educating them on the importance of savings. We even have a savings product designed to instill to the new generation the importance of savings,” Dijan said.

More than giving them access to microloans, the banking institution offers various savings products that suit its clients’ needs. Emma Baño, a member of CARD for six years said, “CARD provides assistance like access to loans, microinsurance for clients and families and many others. CARD doesn’t only focus on giving their clients financial assistance but they also educate us on the importance of savings in a bank.” She urges others to join CARD Bank because according to Baño it is an institution that they can depend on.

Today, CARD Bank is serving about two million socio-economically challenged families nationwide.

CARD Bank is a member institution of CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI) that aims to empower socio-economically challenged families in the country by giving them access to credit, microinsurance, education, health, livelihood, and other capacity-building services to its clients.

Last September 23, 2016, CARD Bank held a financial literacy workshop dubbed as CARDEESKWELA in Santiago 1 Elementary School, Brgy. Santiago, San Pablo City, Laguna. Sixty-eight (68) selected students together with their teachers and principal attended the workshop.

Previously, CARDEESKWELA is only for the members of Maagap Savers Club as part of rewards for being exemplary members of the club. Driven by CARD Bank’s passion in social development and poverty eradication, it was made also possible for schools. The CARDEESKWELA for schools aims to establish mutual relationship between CARD Bank and partner schools in advocating a program that will transform the mindset of the youth on financial management.

According to Ms. Vivian Odiame – Principal of Santiago 1, the program is very timely for their students. Teaching financial literacy to students is one of the school’s advocacies. They earnestly desire to help their students learn the habit of saving even at an early age. Recently, they integrated the basic financial management concepts to their subjects. As she mentioned, “Students need to be able to make informed judgments and effective decisions regarding the use and management of money. Teaching students how to manage money is a vital part of a child’s education. Working hand in hand with CARD Bank is a great opportunity for our students to develop financial management skills and eventually address the issue on the unreasonable spending habit of children. It is also a great avenue for us to access affordable savings facility, through CARD Bank.”

The workshop introduced the students to the importance of developing a habit of saving and proper money management. They were also guided in making simple decisions on how to wisely save, spend and share their own money and resources. This was made extra fun through interactive games, simulations and exciting treats for students.

CARDEESKWELA is a worthwhile event, filled with values and activities designed to educate the students as well as their teachers about the money management. Forty percent (40%) of the participants decided to save and open a Maagap Savings Account during the workshop. They are very eager to practice the strategies and tips on saving their “baon” little by little. The students also made commitment to helping their families lessen their expenses through responsible management of their own money and resources like water and electricity.

The school is very grateful being the beneficiary of this workshop. The principal assured that the financial concepts and values learned from this workshop will be definitely shared to other students of their school. This is just only the beginning of the long term partnership of their school to CARD Bank in pursuing advocacy on financial literacy for students.

Ms. Glenda Magpantay – AVP for Operations, CARD Bank, Inc. sharing her inspirational message to students.

Ms. Vivian Odiame – Principal of Santigo 1, Elementary School, delivering her opening remarks.0

Students listening to tips and strategies on wise saving, spending and sharing.

Students participating in the interactive games.

Students participating in the interactive games.

(L-R) Students receiving their certificates together with Vivian Odiame – Principal of Santiago 1, Glenda Magpantay – AVP for Operations of CARD Bank, Raquel Zaragosa – Regional Director of CARD Bank, Arlene Corbantes – Area Manager of CARD Bank and CARDEE – official mascot of CARD Bank.

Students taking their oath of commitment for responsibly managing their own money and resources.

CARD Bank, a microfinance-oriented rural bank, opens its 73^rdbranch inGen. Segundo Avenue, Brgy. 13,Laoag City, Ilocos Norte on September 19, 2016as part of its mission in reaching more Filipino families.

“We continue to strengthenCARD Bank’s presence in the northern part of Luzon to provide quality banking experience to our clients who mostly came from unbanked households,” said President and CEO Marivic M. Austria. “Though Laoag is a progressive city and has numbers of banking institutions, there are still CARD clients living in the outskirts of the citythat are left behind and don’t have an access to formal banking. This is where CARD Bank goes into,” Austria added.

CARD Bank started its expansion in the Ilocos Region in 2015 and its new office in Laoag is the 7^th branch established in the region. Other bank branches in the region are in Lingayen, San Carlos, Urdaneta, San Fernando, Alaminos, and Candon.

CARD Bank Laoag Branch will provide its services to more than 950clients from Laoag City through its loan and savings products and remittance services.

These clients came from CARD, Inc., a microfinance non-government organization and a member institution of CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI).They have alreadyestablished a sense of responsibility as a member and are ready to access banking services.

“As a member institution ofCARD MRI that aims to empower socio-economically challenged families, CARD Bank’s various products and services are embedded in its mission to lift them up from the cycle of poverty,” said Austria.

CARD Bank provides different loans and savings products tailor-made to the needs of its clients.  Aside from these, CARD Bank also delivers financial education to help its clients make efficient investments in health, education, or in income-generating activities.

In thelist released by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on March 2016, 36.5% or 596 cities and municipalities in the country remain unbanked: 175 from Luzon; 177 from Visayas; and 244 from Mindanao.

“Though numerous banks are already established in the country, a great number of Filipinos remain unbanked because of accessibility. CARD Bankwillensure clients living in the far-flung areasthat their banking needs will be catered,” said Austria.

Austria also shared that CARD Bank will be opening its branch in Bangued, Abra soon. “Simultaneous in our effort tostrengthen CARD Bank’s presence in North Luzon, we will also openseven branches in Mindanao, six branches in Visayas, and three more branches in Southern Luzon before 2017 ends to promote greater financial inclusion in the country.”

CARD Bank pillars, management committee members, staff, and clients were present in the grand opening.

CARD Bank is also a member institution of CARD MRI, a social development institution based in San Pablo City, Laguna. CARD Bank is now serving 1.9 million clients as of July 2016 and is also BSP’s hall of fame awardee for financial inclusion.

Throughout April and May 2016, CARD Bank went to different branches in Luzon particularly in Mogpog and Torrijos, Marinduque; Pinamalayan and Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro; Las Piñas City and Lucena City to conduct financial literacy workshop for kids dubbed as CARDEEskwela. This workshop was given as reward to Maagap Savers who maintained the highest Average Daily Balance (ADB) from the period of 2014 – 2015.

The workshop introduced the kids and their parents to different interactive games and simulated sessions related to money management, including earning, budgeting, wise saving, spending & sharing. “Practical money experience is vital to ensuring today’s generation of money savvy kids. We want parents to know that saving is important and everyone can do it, even kids. CARDEEskwela taught kids several tips on saving for their future. It is one of the programs that CARD Bank can provide to the youth especially to our Maagap Savers.” said CARD Bank President and CEO Marivic Austria in one of the CARDEEkwela workshop.

During the financial literacy session, tips and strategies in handling real life and challenging money management situations were shared and discussed with parents to help their kids develop a suitable attitude in overcoming money related problems and a habit of saving. Significance of family values, wise budgeting and sound decision making were also covered in the entire workshop. The parents were enlightened to start financial planning, proper management of their income and preparation to secure the future of their children through saving.

This summer, CARDEEskwela reached 246 kids and 226 parents/guardians. When asked what the kids and their parent liked best about the workshop, Ms. Lita Jamilla, one of the parents from Mindoro said, “It is really an eye opener for me on how I can guide my children attain success in terms of handling money.”  James Daryl Lagrana, one of the kids from Marinduque said “I definitely enjoyed CARDEEskwela. My summer became worthwhile, which I can share to my classmates and teachers as our class starts this June. It gave me ideas on how I can help my mom to lessen her expenses by not spending too much money on unnecessary things and helping her to save water and electricity.” Some kids also shared that they really appreciate learning topics like waiting, choosing between needs and wants and sharing. They were thankful and honored for this reward that CARD Bank gave them.

Since the launching in 2014, CARDEEskwela have proven an increase on savings balances and frequency of deposits of the participants who underwent the workshop over the years. CARD Bank continues to develop financial education programs suited for teens, employees and members.

CARDEEskwela conducted in different CARD Bank branches

Mogpog Branch

Torrijos Branch

Las Piñas Branch

Lucena Branch

Pinamalayan Branch

Puerto Galera