On its 30th year, TSPI is breaking a new ground with the launching of a new individual loan program– Masikap Program.  For majority of  TSPI’s clients in the Kabuhayan Program (TKP) it is a rewards program, since it is offered only to clients who have persevered in growing their business and have good credit record with TSPI. Like TKP, Masikap is a non-collaterized loan.  But unlike, TKP, which requires a group guarantee, it is an individual loan which requires only one or two co-maker. 

Ms. Aquilina G. Onesa, Product Development Services (PDS) Director and one of the key people behind the creation of Masikap said that, “The Masikap Program was created to support the growing needs of clients with growing businesses. We have existing clients who specifically expressed their desire for higher loan amounts and individual loans. We see the wisdom in moving or “graduating” clients from the group loan set-up of TKP to the individual loan set-up of Masikap. This movement is an indication of a client’s greater responsibility and capacity in growing and managing their business; it is clearly saying that they are becoming more independent. It is a reality, however, that some clients want to stay in the group out of concern for their co-members, but I believe that “graduating” them to Masikap will actually provide them more opportunities to help and serve their co-members and their larger community.”

On February 3, nine TSPI branches simultaneously and successfully launched the new Masikap Program to qualified existing clients. 

Branch staff and clients dancing to the Masikap Jingle.

Key people from the Head Office from different functions who are part of the Product Development Team were distributed among the pilot branches of Tarlac, Tondo, Taguig, Bacoor, San Pedro, Sariaya and Tayabas, Carmen and Valencia to observe the launch of the respective branches.  The Masikap launching was carefully planned to include not just the product feature orientation but also some games and funfare to keep the prospective clients excited. 

According to Ms. Aby G. Carlos, Training Officer, the launch at Taguig 1 was successful because of the good number of client attendees and the orderly and organized flow of the event proper. Only 100 clients per branch was expected but “119 clients came to the launch at Taguig 1, and 40 expressed their desire to join the program. During our post-event evaluation meeting, 12 out of these 40 applications are already being processed,”she shares.

Client interest in the program was also evident in the streams of questions about the Masikap feature during the Q & A.  Aside from the prompt payment discount feature of the loan, clients were very enthusiastic about the flexible repayment terms based on their business income and cash flows, and that it is an individual loan.

Mr. Erness Emmanuel D. Guinto, Project Officer and member of the Product Development Team, wrote portions of this article.