More than 500 executives and professionals from the rural banking sector gathered at the 65th Annual National Convention and General Membership Meeting of the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) held at the SMX Convention Center in Lanang, Davao City.
Revolving around the current trends and challenges faced by rural banks today with an aim to address them for the industry's advancement, the event was graced by several people from the public sector. Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte welcomed the attendees at the opening, whereas Department of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr., and Department of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol shared their insights about the industry.
Key sponsors from the private sector, such as Landbank, Country Bankers Insurance Group, and cloud technology provider Oradian, were also present during the conference. Providing a glimpse of what could be a game-changer in the rural banking industry, Oradian pointed out that a more secure and efficient system through cloud technology will rural banks to adopt a more consumer-friendly transaction process while making internal operations less complex.
“The rural banking landscape is vastly changing all over the world. The use of cloud technology in the banking industry is advent in different continents, so we would like to see this grow in Asia, with Philippines as the pioneer country in emerging markets to enter this transition. It is an investment that is integral to any institution’s growth given that everything is digital now,” said Matija Karaula, Oradian’s Managing Director for Asia.
Headquartered in Zagreb, Croatia with specialist teams in Nigeria and the Philippines, Oradian is a provider customized cloud banking software for marginalized and excluded financial institutions that are prepared to scale up to serve mass markets of underserved clients. The company's SaaS solutions allows financial institutions to know and control their portfolios, empowering them to access real-time data, become more efficient, and turn stagnancy into growth.