Monographs

Monograph 1
CARD’s Transformation: Poor Landless Women’s Vehicle to Empowerment, 1999. 24 pages
Dr. Jaime Aristotle B. Alip, CARD Founding President and Chairman of the Board

On September 1, 1997, in San Pablo City, CARD Rural Bank opened its doors to the public, becoming the first microfinance NGO in the Philippines to transform itself into a bank. This case study traces CARD’s transformation process, examines the rationale for transformation, identifies enabling factors and lists key issues and challenges.

Monograph 2
The CASHPOR House Index and Asset Test As Adapted by the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD, Inc.), 1999. 37 pages
Dolores M. Torres, CARD Bank President and CEO

With CARD’s transformation into a regulated financial intermediary, there was a concern that further commercialization could result in mission drift, i.e reduced focus on reaching the poorest. This paper describes how CARD adapted the CASHPOR House Index and the Means Test as a client targeting and screening tool, respectively, ensuring that it does not stray from its original focus.

Monograph 3
Managing MIS in a Fast Growth MFI: The Experience of CARD, Inc., 2001. 20 pages
Lorenza dT. Bañez, CARD BANK Executive Vice-President

With the creation of the CARD Rural Bank, there emerged a need to strengthen its Management Information System (MIS) by installing systems and procedures that will ensure the effective and efficient delivery of quality service and products. CARD Bank hired professional information technologists to help develop a management information system that will increase the bank’s efficiency, thus no longer will clients wait in long lines to place their deposit or pay back their loans. This paper recounts CARD’s experience in redesigning its MIS and how the changes helped the institution to manage its growth and expansion.

Monograph 4
Reaching the Poor with Effective Microcredit: Evaluation of a Grameen Bank Replication in the Philippines, 1997. 34 pages
Mahabub Hossain and Catalina Diaz

One hundred thirty three clients, representing old and new borrowers from 3 CARD branches were interviewed to assess the economic impact of CARD’s financial services. Client situations were compared based on information on credit history of the borrowers, their socioeconomic background and asset holding, costs and returns on enterprises financed with the loan, employment and income generated from CARD-financed and other economic activities of the household. This paper discusses the findings of the study, concluding that CARD has been effective in improving the livelihood of the low-income households.

Monograph 5
Simplification Processes of the Existing Microfinance Program: The Needs, Prospects, and Constraints, 2002. 12 pages
Dr. Jaime Aristotle B. Alip

Monograph 6
CARD-Freedom From Hunger Client Assessment Approaches for Progress Tracking Workshop, 2001. 15 pages
Barbara MkNelly, FFH

Monograph 7
Summary Report of the Findings from the CARD/FFH Client Assessment Techniques Workshop, 2002, 28 pages
Barbara MkNelly and Aniceta Alip

The workshop on Client Assessment Techniques aimed to build the Masbate staff skill and capacity to systematically solicit client information through focus group and short survey and to analyze the operational implications of this information. The workshop was undertaken as part of CARD and Freedom from Hunger’s collaborative work to build staff capacity and test approaches for assessing progress towards social, as well as, financial goals. Three specific operational issues were explored through client interviews and staff analysis.

• Who is being reached by CARD services in terms of poverty level as measured by household food security?
• Why do members leave CARD and, in particular, what are the reasons that relate to program policies, dynamics or procedures?
• What factors hinder CARD members from taking and profitably using larger loans?

This paper reports the specific findings by topic area as well as recommendations for action.

Monograph 8
Commercialization of Microfinance: Case Study of CARD Rural Bank, 2003. 32 pages
Dr. Jaime Aristotle B. Alip

This paper analyzes CARD Bank’s move along the commercialization continuum, a framework advanced by Charitonenko, consultant to ADB. It discusses CARD Bank’s adoption of a for-profit orientation in administration and operation; describes its progression toward operational and financial self-sufficiency; utilization of market-based sources of fund, and operation as a for-profit, formal financial institution that is subject to prudential regulation and supervision.

Monograph 9
CARD Mutual Benefit Association, Inc.: An Innovation in the Microfinance Industry in the Philippines, 2003. 22 pages.
Dr. Jaime Aristotle B. Alip and Alexander M. Dimaculangan

CARD recognizes that the poor is a heterogeneous group that has a variety of financial service needs, thus its commitment to provide a wide range of services to its clients, aside from loans and savings. In 1994, it started the Members Mutual Fund (MMF) that provided for death benefits and pension. Today, the MMF has grown to become the CARD Mutual Benefit Association (MBA), one of the structures comprising the CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions. It provides expanded benefits such as life insurance, loan redemption and provident fund/retirement savings. Congruent with its goal of client empowerment, its ownership and management were turned over to the members in 1999. This paper traces the growth of the CARD MBA since then.

Monograph 10
Taking The Pebbles Out of CARD’s Shoe: Strategies to Reinvigorate Problematic Centers, 2004. 32 pages.
Dolores M. Torres, Flordeliza L. Sarmiento, Lorenza dT Bañez, Elma B. Valenzuela and Cynthia B. Baldeo

CARD was beset with repayment crisis in the mid of 2003. This scenario compelled CARD to hollow out the root cause of this catastrophe; thus, the contents of this paper discuss the efforts that CARD exerted to confront this problem. The steps undertaken, the learnings and experiences written in this manuscript attempts to share valuable insights to other microfinance implementors on how to possibly deal with the same operational challenges.

Monograph 11
The "Lakbay-Aral" Program: A Journey of Learning, 2005. 18 pages.
CARD Research Unit

Realizing the importance of center mechanism to the CARD operations, the Lakbay-Aral Program was introduced as a reward to the center chiefs’ sterling performance and support to the CARD management being stewards of the centers where they belong. As well, the program aims to deepen clients’ understanding of the institutional mission and core values and to strengthen their commitment to the CARD Program. This paper discusses clients’ experiences and learnings in participating in the Lakbay-Aral Program, as well as, their suggestions on how to move the program forward.

Monograph 12
CARD's Experience on Dropouts and Its Response, 2005
Lalaine Joyas, MCPI; Lourdes Medina, CARD Research Unit

Monograph 14
BDS: Bringing Clients To The Next Level, 2005
Dr. Jaime Aristotle B. Alip, et. al.

Monograph 15
CARD MRI Scholarship Program: Maximizing the Youth�s Potential Through Education
CARD MRI Resource Mobilization Unit

Monograph 16
HEALTH FIRST: Another Pathway Out of Poverty
Microfinance and Health Protection Program in the Philippines
CARD MRI Microfinance and Health Protection Program and Research Unit

Monograph 17
Lakbay-Aral nina Nanay at Tatay
CARD MRI Development Institute

Occasional Paper 1
Dried Fish Production and Marketing in Masbate and Marinduque, 2003. 20 pages.
Dr. Agnes T. Banzon

Occasional Paper 2
CARD MBA The Philippines, 2004, 58 pages.
Michael J. McCord and Grzegorz Buckzkowski

Occasional Paper 3
Special Credit Programs for the Poorest:
A Study of Grameen Bank Replication Programs in the Philippines, 1993
Takayoshi Amemonomori
A Longitudinal Study of Some Clients of CARD, A Microfinance Institution in the Philippines, 2004
Takayoshi Amenomori and Maryline Ursua

Occasional Paper 4
Risk, Vulnerability, Assets and the Role of Financial Services in Reducing Vulnerability: A Study of Women Clients of CARD, Bay, Laguna, Philippines
Ronald T. Chua, et. al
Condensed by Dr. Mimosa Ocampo

Occasional Paper 5
Competitive Analysis of the Philippine Microfinance Market
Case Study of the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development, 2007
Sandy Eapen, et.al.
Columbia Business School

Occasional Paper 6
Profile of Excellence in Community Economic Development
If You Can�t Own the Land, Own a Bank
Creating Potential Amid Poverty in the Philippines
Featuring the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD), Inc., 2007
G. David Miller
School of Community Economic Development
Southern New Hampshire University

Book
Reengineering Selected CARD Business Processes, 2000. 110 pages.
Dr. Jaime Aristotle B. Alip

Chain of Change
Paulo Famularcano

Responding to Needs, Sustaining the Vison: The CARD MRI Strategic Management Approches
Elma B. Valenzuela, Marivic M. Austria, Alexander Dimaclangan and Ma. Chona David-Casis

Scaling Up Poverty Reduction while Ensuring Profitability
Dolores M. Torres and Flordeliza L. Sarmiento