The pioneering course on Microfinance was launched in Bicol University (BU) in school year 2009-2010. With the course on its fourth year of implementation in BU and recently by other educational institutions around the country, the program partners conducted a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activity in BU-Daraga Campus last 25 September 2012 as part of the regular M&E being undertaken by the program. The M&E serves as a management tool in assessing the progress of implementation and addressing the needs and concerns of program implementers. Specific M&E tools were developed by the program to facilitate the process.

The course is being offered in two tracks: CHED track (Commission on Higher Education) and TESDA track (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority). The CHED track is a 4-year ladderized course leading to a Bachelor’s Degree while the TESDA track is between 1 to 2 years toward a national-level Certificate. BU through its College of Business, Economics and Management (CBEM), is running the course under the CHED track leading to a BSBA Major in Microfinance degree. The students have an option to work after the first two years as Loan Officer and pursue higher education at a later time.

This school year 2012-2013 marks a milestone as the pilot class of the DTS CBE for Microfinance program in BU will be graduating (44 students) in April 2013. From its first class of 50 students, BU’s (Daraga Campus) enrolment at different levels has now reached close to 200. In 2011, it has also extended the program offering to its satellite campus in Gubat, Sorsogon with 78 students enrolled to date.  BU’s success can be gleaned from its commitment to the program and the strength of the partnership (among BU, the students and their parents, MFIs and their members/clients, the community and program proponents) given that the program is pioneering and relatively unique.

This latest M&E in BU-Daraga Campus gathered the students from all year levels. Testimonials from selected students and representatives from partner microfinance institutions (MFIs) were shared and reflected on. The M&E touched on seven key areas: (1) Why did you choose BSBA Major in Microfinance?, (2) Course Content, (3) Self-contained Learning Modules, (4) Methodology, (5) Faculty, (6) Support System (BU & MFIs), and (7) Key Challenges. The students’ responses were documented and processed. The highlights of the M&E results were presented, discussed and validated with the program partners/implementers composed of the CBEM core faculty, MFIs, PinoyME Foundation, Hanns Seidel Foundation/Germany and officers of the Microfinance student organization. 

Key challenges, action plans and agreements were put forward by the program partners and stakeholders as next steps to sustain the gains of the program in the future. Towards this end, a Local Program Committee (LPC) in the Bicol region was formed as an effective strategy to manage the partnerships and facilitate a smooth transition when the program is turned over to the local partners at the end of the formal program cooperation.