SEDPI

Mariel Vincent A. Rapisura	Edwin M. Salonga
Emilenn Kate Sacdalan	Elmar Benjie Panahon
Desiree Muñoz	Florence Adviento
Francis Vincent Parma	Agnes Raña

Mariel Vincent A. Rapisura
President and Chief Executive Officer (SEDPI)
Faculty Member and Microfinance Program Manager
(Ateneo de Manila University)

Vincent Rapisura holds a Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurship for Social and Development Workers from the Asian Institute of Mangement and studied Rural and Agricultural Finance in the Netherlands. He recently finished a course in Microenterprise Development at the Southern New Hampshire University in the United States of America. He teaches social entrepreneurship and microfinance at the Ateneo de Manila University. Concurrently, he is the President and CEO of the Social Enterprise Development Partnerships, Inc. (SEDPI).

Starting a career in microfinance soon after he graduated, Vince has gained considerable experience in the field of microfinance having worked in two local pioneering development organizations in the Philippines and one international microfinance training firm. He spearheaded the development and delivery of the Ateneo de Manila University’s Microfinance Diploma Course. The diploma course has attracted participants from Asia, Africa and Latin America. He is currently an active member of the remittance working group of the European Microfinance Platform and has worked in this area for the International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions in Benin, Burkina Faso and Luxembourg.

One of his most noted achievements is having been able to grow the portfolio of a microfinance program seven-fold from PhP 16 million to PhP 134 million. At the same time, he was able to reduce their portfolio at risk (PAR) ratio from 54% to 0%. Vince is well known to turn around the performance of ailing microfinance institutions and create market niches for those that are struggling with competition. His expertise is in the areas of social entrepreneurship, financial analysis, and mentoring assistance to both microfinance and microenterprises. He has conducted and facilitated various researches in the areas of impact assessment, client satisfaction and program evaluations, and has assisted several organizations access funds both from donors and commercial sources in the local and international market.

Together with like-minded social investors, Vince has established a portfolio for social investments that combines the principles of social responsibility and financial returns. From a meager PhP45,000 portfolio seed fund, the portfolio has grown to PhP7.5 million in three years. The fund is currently being invested in social enterprises such as microfinance institutions, cooperatives and individuals who operate social enterprises. In the last three years, the fund has performed modestly and consistently enjoys 0% default. The fund is currently attracting investors from abroad particularly those coming from remittance-sending countries to the Philippines such as the United States of America, Hong Kong, Dubai and other European countries.

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Edwin M. Salonga
Faculty Member,
University of the Philippines Faculty Member,
Ateneo de Manila University Chief Operating Officer,
Social Enterprise Development Partnerships, Inc.

Edwin Salonga is a concurrent lecturer at the University of the Philippine’s Master of Management Program and the Ateneo de Manila University’s Development Studies Program. Graduating Cum Laude and proceeding to earn his Master’s Degree in Public Administration both from the University of the Philippines, his expertise lies in organizational development in government and development organizations. He has likewise conducted performance appraisals and mentoring assistance for microfinance institutions all over the Philippines and has written papers on microfinance for his doctoral program.

Edwin is largely responsible in developing training courses for the Ateneo Microfinance Capacity Building Program. He is known among training participants to effectively integrate structured learning experiences and adult learning techniques in his training style. Edwin never fails to be evaluated as an excellent trainer and mentor by his MFI clients both in local and international settings. He integrates market research results on field in trainings in a manner that specific audiences would appreciate. He also pushes the bar further into translating these research results in operational terms offering training participants with practical and readily applicable tools and information to improve organizational performance.

Edwin led the delivery of the Ateneo de Manila’s Diploma Course in Microfinance to the management staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria in Lagos in 2007. Due to the astounding reception of the participants in the training, the Central Bank is planning to replicate the diploma course in the years to come. He has also lead the delivery of training courses in key cities in the Philippines with the Bank of the Philippine Islands and the People’s Credit and Finance Corporation. As one participant puts it, one can never have enough of Edwin’s training delivery.

One of the fields of expertise of Edwin is human resource management. He is known among training and mentoring assistance clients of his ability to rally management staff to commit to the attainment of targets. He does this through the provision of tools on how to achieve the targets coupled with motivating incentives schemes that will surely gain institutional buy in.

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Emilenn Kate D.S. Sacdalan
Program Officer,
Ateneo Microfinance Capacity Building Program

Dimples Sacdalan graduated with a double degree in Development Studies and Economics from the Ateneo de Manila University. As one of the pioneer members of SEDPI, she provides indefatigable and reliable delivery of customized and public-run training courses and other management services to microfinance institutions in several key cities and provinces all over the Philippines. She has worked on the documentation of best practices of microfinance institutions in the Philippines commissioned by the National Confederation of Cooperatives.

As young as she is, Dimples already leads SEDPI’s front liners in field research. Her excellent communication skills with the grassroots allow her to automatically integrate in communities where crucial data are gathered for research. She seamlessly conducts focus group discussions and completes surveys in the most efficient manner. From her front line work, Dimples is able to transform data into valuable information through rigorous statistical analysis and then later translate these in operational terms that could be understood by microfinance practitioners.

es such as the United States of America, Hong Kong, Dubai and other European countries.

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Elmar Benjie B. Panahon
Program Officer,
Social Enterprise Development Partnerships, Inc.

Benjie Panahon graduated with a Degree in Management Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University. Shortly after graduation, he joined the Jesuit Volunteers Philippines and was assigned in Eastern Samar where he developed, organized, and conducted various trainings for both microfinance staff and clients.

Benjie’s experience in microfinance is further developed in SEDPI, where he currently works as Program Officer. He has conducted various microfinance and microenterprise researches around the country, including those commissioned by the Sustainable Economic Activity Development, Plan-Philippines, Peace and Equity Foundation, and CordAID. He likewise has conducted trainings and mentoring assistance for several microfinance institutions.

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Desiree Muñoz
Program Officer,
Ateneo Microfinance Capacity Building Program

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Florence Adviento
Program Officer,
Ateneo Microfinance Capacity Building Program

Francis Vincent Parma
Program Officer,
Ateneo Microfinance Capacity Building Program

Agnes Raña
Program Officer,
Ateneo Microfinance Capacity Building Program

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