Philippines Pricing Data Report

For the first time in history, prices for the Philippine microfinance market are now available.

The Philippines has one of the oldest and largest microfinance markets after Bangladesh and Indonesia, with
over 2 million clients and hundreds of service providers. Over the past decade, the sector has experienced rapid
growth, both in terms of outreach and innovation in services offered. It has received attention and support from both government and private institutions, based locally and globally.

In March 2011, MFTransparency launched the Transparent Pricing Initiative in the Philippines. Over a period of seven months, pricing data was collected from microfinance institutions throughout the country. In addition, trainings were conducted with MFIs and discussions undertaken with regulators and networks. This resulted in product pricing for 43 MFIs representing US$351 million/PHP 15 billion in outstanding loan portfolio to 2 million clients. This product pricing dataset is now publicly available on MFTransparency’s website.

MFTransparency’s work is founded on the principle that data must be accompanied by education and descriptive information. To maximize the value for users of the Philippine pricing dataset, we have prepared an in-depth analytical report.

The Transparent Pricing Initiative in the Philippines and the new pricing disclosure policies are complementary initiatives aimed to further enhance pricing transparency within the sector. The data presented in this report is intended to assist the sector as they re-think their pricing strategies and operations in preparation for when the disclosure policies take effect. No doubt, moving towards a more transparent market presents the industry with several challenges. However, with stakeholders working together, these can be overcome, bringing about a more robust,efficient and market-focused microfinance industry.