In furtherance of the Dual Training System Competency-based Education (DTS CBE) Program for Microfinance, the key partners comprising of Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) and Educational Institutions (EIs) for the pilot implementation of the program held a 2-day workshop from 12-13 April 2012 in Manila to develop a TESDA-CHED Equivalency System for the Microfinance Program.

The proposed equivalency system to be adopted by DTS CBE implementing partners will allow for the accreditation of all subjects/units and thus encourage the students to pursue further studies and earn a degree. This is in response to the partners’ expressed need to integrate the Competency-based Curriculum in appropriate subjects under the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to ensure proper delivery of the learning packages or self-contained modules. The workshop facilitated the process of developing the equivalency system which included the construction of a credit equivalency matrix for the three program levels, namely: a) Certificate Program for Loan Officers, b) Diploma Program for Team Leader/Supervisor, and c) Degree Program for Branch Manager, and the preparation of the implementation plan for the adoption of the equivalency system for the Microfinance Program.

A representative from CHED was invited in the person of Dr. Hipolito Falcon, Director, Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP) under the Office of Program Standards, who talked about the ETEEAP System of Equivalency particularly on CHED Memorandum Order #8 Series of 2009 or the Revised Policies and Guidelines of ETEEAP. An Open Forum ensued thereafter.

The main facilitator for the activity, Mr. Antonio Alegria, Executive Director of the Dual Training System Networking Foundation, Inc. (DTSNETFI) and acknowledged DTS expert, gave a review of the process adopted in the development of the DTS CBE in Microfinance Technology from the initiation stage to implementation, monitoring and evaluation. He underscored the competency-based framework under the DTS approach in close partnership between the schools and the microfinance sector, as well as the continuing support of local and international development agencies to the program since 2008 like the Hanns Seidel Foundation/Germany, PinoyME Foundation and the microfinance sector.

The participants came from the partner schools - Araullo University, Bicol University and College of the Immaculate Conception, and MFIs – Center for Community Transformation, (CCT), Kasagana-Ka Development Center, Inc. (KCDI) and Taytay sa Kauswagan, Inc. (TSKI).