FICOBank Hosts the Lakbay Aral of the Coop Bank of Cotabato

The Chairman of the Board, Mr. Wilfredo DC. Antonio, together with the other Board members, Senior Officers and key officers, of FICOBank welcomed the delegates of the Cooperative Bank of Cotabato (CBC) on their Lakbay Aral at the Bank’s Corporate Office on January 25, 2016. The 18-person study group of the visiting bank, who are made up of its Chairman, Vice Chairman, Board Secretary, five Directors, President, four Vice Presidents, Head Office Manager, Area Manager and three Branch Managers, took the exhausting Cotabato-to-Manila-to-Cauayan air-and-land travel for this purpose. The visitors were, however, extremely refreshed upon arrival, as they were amiably welcomed by the FICOBank family. They also felt the warmth of the meet-and-greet session with the directors and officers of the host bank.

“We take great pleasure to be hosting this particular Lakbay Aral of CBC. As such, we are glad to give the delegates an insight into the banking operations of FICOBank, which have come a long way over the past 39 years,” Chairman Antonio said in his Opening Remarks.

Atty. Hubert E. Molina, then Senior Vice President for Treasury & Corporate Services of FICOBank, made a PowerPoint presentation of FICOBank’s: Background and Aspiration; Mission, Vision & Core Values; Geographical Setting; Organizational Structure; Business Model; Products & Services; Performance Scorecard; Best Practices & Approaches; Awards & Recognition; and Plans in the Years to Come. As this particular study visit was a learn-and-share activity, the President of the visiting bank, Mr. Guillermo L. Carisma Jr., also presented a 13-minute video clip of CBC’s: Past Organizational Highlights; Present Banking Operations & Performance; and Future Development Initiatives. An open forum was facilitated afterward.

Reflecting together on various banking issues, sharing points of view, discovering ways of seeing, doing and getting things, solving problems or simply considering solutions made both the hosts and visitors feel more like they were on a common space; thus, living up to the International Co-operative Banking Association (ICBA) principle of “Cooperation among Co-operative Banks.”

Mr. David J. Torres and Mr. Ernesto C. Gamboa, Board Chairman and Vice Chairman of CBC and FICOBank, respectively, delivered their Closing Remarks in succession.

For CBC, this Lakbay Aral brought added value in terms of: getting new stimulus for business development provided by the expertise and experiences of FICOBank; and enhancing the motivation and confidence of its Board, Senior Management and key officers. On the other hand, for hosting this study visit of CBC, FICOBank has gained prominence as the learning “Mecca” of cooperative banks in the country.