Bankwide TODA Loan Rollout. As FICOBank’s Tricycle Operators and Drivers Assistance (TODA) Loan had its successful pilot testing and rollout in Region 2, it was eventually introduced into the bankwide marketplace on May 2, 2011. With this final rollout,the Bank’s first and foremost business objective of capturing a big chunk of the trikers’ segment, both in absolute and relative market shares, will not be far-fetched.

Hosting of Another Study Visit.FICOBank—without any dilly-dallying—had gladly granted the request of Tagum Coop for a three-day Study Visit on February 21-23, 2011. The Bank’s top authorities generously shared to the visiting delegates the essential principles and practices that the Bank have long been espousing and/or championing in its banking operations. As this particular Study Visit was a learn-and-share activity, the General Manager of the visiting coop also presented the Tagum Cooperative’s profile and best practices to the ADSCOM members of the Bank. The inter-cooperation between the two cooperative organizations has been mutually beneficial in many operational aspects.

BSP Approval of FICOBank’s Extension Offices. Starting out as field offices (FOs), with common function of making loans, as they’re restricted in taking deposits and servicing withdrawals, the remaining FOs of FICOBank in the municipalities of Aurora, San Mateo and Tumauini—all in Isabela—are now officially converted into extension offices (EOs). They moved a notch higher after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) approved their conversion from FOs to EOs on February 3, 2011. Today, these four banking units are geared toward becoming better fund-generating and income-producing arms of the Bank.

Conversion of Ilagan EO into Branch. After its application for conversion was authorized by BSP on November 16, 2011, the extension office of the Bank in Ilagan, Isabela has become a full-fledged branch. It made a record in FICOBank’s history as the first-ever extension office that eventually turned into a regular branch. Ilagan Branch, the 18th branch of FICOBank, has now the jurisdiction over Tumauini and Cabagan EOs. For FICOBank Ilagan, moving to a higher notch means greater competitiveness, better performance and bigger income, as it offers full banking services with the right product repertoire to the right customer segment.

Embarking on a Business Partnership with International Organization. Through the strong recommendation of Maybridge Asia, Inc., FICOBank was chosen by Bridge, an international resource provider and builder of better banks, as one of the potential partner countryside banks in the Philippines, as it meets the latter’s eligibility criteria for a partner bank. As FICOBank is firmly focused on its 2011-2015 transformation journey, it ought to: select a reliable partner that could help it reach its planned corporate destination; acquire the needed capital and expertise to execute its strategies for transformation; and grow fast into a new breed of a countryside banking institution—as a corporative thrift bank—built to last and able to make the most out of the opportunities.

Setting Market Foothold in Guimba, Nueva Ecija. With a sense of worthy purpose, FICOBank transferred its Umingan (Pangasinan) Branch to Guimba, Nueva Ecija, one of the first-class municipalities of the province, on March 28, 2011. FICOBank’s comprehensive mix of deposit and loan products, as well as fee-based services, can be accessed by the townsfolk of the host and neighboring municipalities at its Guimba Branch, which is strategically located at Plaza Carlota, Afan Salvador St., Santo Cristo, Guimba, Nueva Ecija. Development-wise, the transfer of the aforementioned branch will definitely and significantly benefit the recognized major stakeholders—the Bank and the municipality of Guimba, together with its constituents.

Introduction of New Loan Product. In addition to its broad selection of loan products, FICOBank introduced its Todo Ani Loan to its target market in Northeast, Central and Northwest Luzon on June 6, 2011. This latest agricultural loan product of the Bank was designed for small farmers and fisherfolk who are engaged in food production projects/activities. With the Todo Ani Loan, the underserved segments of the agriculture sector—the small crop-growers, the small livestock- and poultry-raisers, and the small fisherfolk—that are long neglected by the banking institutions will be able to get enough financial assistance (without any hard collateral) for any demand-driven agri-fishery project from FICOBank.

Launching of FICOBank’s Coffee Table Book. To hark back to FICOBank’s 34 remarkable years of existence, the first-ever coffee table book, titled Celebrating a Vital Past, Creating a Vibrant Future: Bank. People. Service. was launched on September 10, 2011. This commemorative picture-story book aimed to chronicle the humble beginnings and the forward-looking path of FICOBank, which were interwoven in textual and visual tapestry of significant events and development highpoints within a space-time continuum. Stuck in every picture were the unforgettable moments of the Bank’s significant activities and events, as well as the men and women who devoted the prime years of their lives in bringing fruition to what FICOBank is today—a leader in the Philippine cooperative banking industry.

Refuting Malicious and Defamatory Information. Out of the blue, FICOBank has been hit “below the belt” and beyond ethical principles by some people just to tarnish the Bank’s reputation in favor of others. Defamatory and malicious text messages were sent, to many persons and were shared to an even greater number of people, by the perpetrators of this smear campaign who aimed to put FICOBank down. However, the damage and jitters that these people wanted to inflict against the Bank did not happen at all. The detractors’ attempt to disrupt and destabilize the operations of the Bank has been an exercise in futility. Its long-established and success-laden partnership with its employees and customers, which is even getting stronger as time goes by, serves as the Bank’s vital power to stay in business.

Ending 2011 on a High Note. Despite the unfavorable economic backdrop that was brought about by various factors (local and global, natural and man-made, etc.), the Bank—through God’s grace, goodness and guidance—beat all odds. It has also proven that its exceptional banking practices could withstand the toughest test of times. Reaching its first billion-peso level of resources after three decades in 2008, FICOBank made a significant milestone in 2011 by doubling its resources in just three years. Today, its total assets, which stood at two-billion pesos, gives a picture of a bigger and stronger FICOBank that is even ready to get to greater heights next year and in the coming years.