Social Pension
Edward Gerlock, Advocacy Officer at COSE (Coalition of Services for the Elderly) explained that older people in the Philippines do not receive a social pension at old age. People aged 65+ do receive a 20% discount at several shops and services. However, this has no advantages to many poor older people. COSE works with older people supporting groups; older people support each other in all kind of activities, like providing home care, lobbying, giving trainings, etc. COSE advocates for a social pension for all older citizens in the Philippines. With some pressure of older people demonstrating in front of the parliament COSE achieved a basic social pension for poor people of 80 years and older. COSE will continue their lobby activities till all people aged 60 years and older will receive a social pension, a basic regular income provided by state.

Microinsurance

From Tuesday 9 November till Thursday 11 November Leo den Hartog, Robert Lensink and Jansje van Middendorp visited the 6^th International Micro insurance Conference in Manila. There are 2.000 MFIs in the Philippines with a total of 7 million clients. MFIs, NGOs and Cooperatives start a MBA or cooperate with a commercial provider (Bank) to be allowed to implement micro insurance products. The Central Bank regulates banks, the Insurance Commission regulates organizations offering insurance products, like MBAs.

Micro pensions

People working in the informal sector in the Philippines have no opportunity to save for their old age in micro pension schemes. RIMANSI is the network organization of MBAs in the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia. Together with the P&D Network, RIMANSI will develop a micro pension product for their MBA partner organizations. The 12^th of November, during the 2^nd RIMANSI Partners’s Forum, Jansje van Middendorp gave a presentation about micro pensions and the P&D Network. RIMANSI and the P&D Network signed a Memorandum of Understanding to secure the cooperation between RIMANSI and the P&D Network.

Project Group RIMANSI

Besides Leo den Hartog and Robert Lensink, Iwan Schafthuizen and Sascha Vrolijk, both working for ORTEC Finance, will become part of the Project Group RIMANSI and will support the development of the micro pension product. RIMANSI will start with amarket research and drawing a business plan. The P&D Network will support RIMANSI by providinng assistance in the fields of market research, investment of funds and product design and implementation.