Is Capital Enough? Beyond Microfinance for Poor Farmers in the Philippines

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) works globally to combat poverty, alleviate conflict, and build institutional capacity, working with a network of church partners, non-governmental organizations and government agencies to implement programs in peace-building, health and microfinance. The CRS RLC in Manila, Philippines, is just one of the many CRS branches dedicated to helping its regional partner organizations grow and develop, with a specific focus in the field of microfinance. The objective of the workshop was to provide recommendations on how to integrate Business Development Services (BDS) into current lending strategies used by CRS microfinance partners. As the Philippines is a heavily agricultural economy, using about 47% of arable land for agriculture and agribusiness, this study also has a specific focus on agribusiness.