IN OUR recent trip to Manila, we had the chance to visit the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) headquarters on A. Soriano Avenue corner Arzobispo Street, Intramuros, Metro Manila where we once served as Director while active in the industry a few years ago.

RBAP is one of the oldest and most extensive trade organizations in the country. Established more than 50 years ago, it was spearheaded in its early years by the late industrialist and rural banker, Alfredo Montelibano of Negros Occidental. Now, there is a rural bank in about 2,000 locations in the country.

There was, however, a serious split in the RBAP since five years ago because of the leadership election conflict that even reached the courts. We are glad now that the rural bankers have finally come to their senses and, led by two lady rural bank leaders, Natividad Yu and Paz Radaza, in a rare show of selflessness, issued a call for a unified new election on May 7, 2008, without themselves participating.

Results of the elections for RBAP Officers and the Board of Directors were as follows:
Tomas S. Gomez IV of GM Bank, Inc. from Central Luzon was unanimously elected President for the 2008-2009 term.

VP for Luzon was Augusto Mendoza of the Rural Bank of Victoria, Inc.; VP for Visayas, Noriel Lumalang of Rural Bank of Taft, Inc.; and VP for Mindanao, Joseph Omar Andaya of Green Bank, Inc.

Domingo I. Tinio of Banco Agricola, Inc. was Corporate Secretary; Maricar Benilda Collado of Banawag Rural Bank, Inc., Assistant Corporate Secretary; Vicente Mendoza of Filipino Savers Bank, Treasurer; and Benjamin Arciaga of Alabank, Assistant Treasurer.

Directors were Jerry Coloma Jr. of Zambales Bank, Inc. for Region 3; Ruben Baes of First Reliance Rural Bank for Region 4; Mario Honrado of Rural Bank of Guinobatan, Inc. for Region 5; Eric Ian Pama of Valiant Bank, Inc. for Region 6; Enrique Abellana of Rural Bank of Barili, Inc. for Region 7; Rizalito Sy of Pres. M. A. Roxas Rural Bank, Inc. for Region 9; Vittorio Almario of Rural Bank Mati, Inc. for Region 10; and Charles Tan of Rural Bank of Tangub, Inc. for Region 11.

We are happy to congratulate and commend the rural bankers as a whole for showing unselfish and patriotic leadership to make the industry whole again.

We, in Iloilo, have a very active rural bank federation headed also by RBAP Director, Eric Ian Pama of Valiant Rural Bank, Inc. in Iloilo City.

Come to think of it, now that more aid is coming in for the victims of Typhoon “Frank,” if the rural bankers will approve, why not utilize the facilities of rural banks to distribute and monitor all aid to relieve government agencies of being burdened to account for them later on?

The rural banks are organized as federations in the whole of Panay Island, and in all the other regions of the country for that matter.

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