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Development Bank of the Philippines
Greening the countryside
 State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) takes the color green in its corporate logo seriously.
DBP used an initial funding of Php50 million (more than USD 1 million) from the KfW of Germany to reforest denuded areas, create livelihood opportunities, and spur economic activity in the Philippine countryside.
Under its DBP Forest Program, the bank extends seed capital to buy plant seedlings and defray administrative and maintenance costs. Farmers and fishermen in beneficiary communities take care of planting and cultivation, site preparation, and other forest activities. Partner agencies lend the technical expertise, monitor, and oversee project implementation. DBP’s big borrowers also become donors and partners as front-end fees from their loans partly bankroll the program..
Barely a year since its inception in April 2005, the program already covers more than 4,000 hectares of land in 17 projects in nine provinces. These areas are planted with a variety of high-value fruit trees, forest wood, and other tree species. Its forest project in Quezon province is also being eyed for ethanol production. In Bukidnon province in Mindanao island, 829 families are benefiting from DBP’s partnership with a private firm on a community-based rubber plantation.
DBP won the Environmental Development category in the 2006 ADFIAP Awards for its innovative and multi-sectoral approach to the DBP Forest Program. The bank is leading the way, not only towards nation building, but also towards nation greening.
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SME Bank Malaysia
Saving a ‘dying’ industry
 When you think of Malaysia, you think of batik—a traditional tapestry rich with color and embued with a long history of fine craftsmanship. But the industry of batik making has become moribund as traditions fade and financing dries up.
To revitalize the batik and craft industries, the Malaysian government, through the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperation Development, and the SME Bank tied up for a program called Batik and Craft Entrepreneur Program (BCEP). The goal is to provide batik and craft makers comprehensive assistance through flexible financing schemes, capacity building, and advisory services. NGOs have teamed up with the Malaysian Craft Development Board to help market and promote the products locally and abroad.
Since BCEP was introduced, SME Bank has already financed more than 44 batik and craft enterprises.
The program helped raise the standard of living in the countryside, promote the use of indigenous resources and create jobs among entrepreneurs from small towns and rural areas. Homegrown technology has also created as batik makers now use computer-aided design and production.
The successful program of SME Bank and the Malaysian government won the SME Development category in the 2006 ADFIAP Awards.
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Development Bank of Turkey
Starting them young
 In the province of Kirikkale in Turkey, young people only had two places to go to find work: in the farm or in government offices. Even if the province has the infrastructure to support economic development, its people still go elsewhere to seek opportunities.
The Development Bank of Turkey (DBT) thought it best to invest on young people to jumpstart the province’s economic engine. By developing young entrepreneurs, DBT knew it will help to reduce unemployment in the province and succeed in luring local investment.
The bank organized a quarterly entrepreneurship seminar, a project contest and evaluation seminars for the province. Around 360 people acquired knowledge and training on the areas of marketing, feasibility management, legal regulations, and information technology. DBT experts contributed to planning, organizing the seminars, and holding lectures.
Some of the fruits reaped from these activities include: a website for entrepreneurs of the province, municipal implementation of winning projects on recycling waste paper, employment of about 70 students, and the publication of six books about the seminar program.
For its success in this undertaking, DBT won the Local Economic Development category in the 2006 ADFIAP Awards. Its efforts bear proof that development banks have a crucial role to play in shaping the economic destiny of their nations.
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Planters Development Bank
Spirit at work
 In a business driven by the relentless pursuit of the bottom line, is there room left for spirituality?
At Planters Development Bank, there is. One just has to look at its workforce, its regular office gatherings, and the spirit of employee volunteerism that now pervade the bank’s corporate culture.
Called WHAM for ‘Whole Heart and Mind’, the culture formation program embodies Plantersbank’s “commitment and passion to give its all, whole heart and mind, in the attainment of its vision and mission and in making the bank’s values alive in the workplace.”
The program has made Plantersbank’s staff more loving and sensitive to the needs of others. Bank staff are actively engaged in various volunteerism programs, including donations to scholarship programs, the Boys Town, public hospitals, and the Philippine National Red Cross. The harmonious relationship between labor and management has also led to several peaceful negotiations on collective bargaining agreements. Even the bank’s main clientele, the SMEs, are benefiting from the program through improved customer care service.
The program has already won several international accolades, including the 2004 International Spirit at Work Award given in Switzerland in 2004; and the Asian Banking Award for Outstanding Human Resource Program in 2006. It was also one of the Outstanding Development Projects in the 2006 ADFIAP Awards in the category Human Resource Development.
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Industrial Development Bank of India
Power Deal
 When Enron Corp. skid into financial troubles in 2001, not only did this threaten to sink the multinational power firm’s business in the US, it also affected the power sector of several countries.
This included India, which has just then opened its power sector to 100% private ownership to meet increase local demand. Among the early beneficiaries of the liberalized policy was Dabhol Power Project (DPP), which involved a 2,184-MW combined cycle gas-based power plant and natural gas facilities.
India financial institutions (IFIs) led by the Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) bankrolled 70% of the USD2.9-billion project in the form of senior debt/guarantee assistance. A host of international banks and export credit agencies also became leaders.
When Enron filed for bankruptcy in the US, DPP was among those engulfed in commercial disputes. Stakeholders took legal actions to protect their claims. Several attempts at finding a common had also failed.
With government support, the IFIs developed a comprehensive restructuring plan for DPP.
This involved an unprecedented move to set up a Financial Purpose Vehicle that would buy out the debt of foreign lenders.
In less than a year, the DPP restructuring deal was completed successfully. A new company took over DPP’s assets, with equity support and ‘acquisition funding’ from Indian financial institutions.
Recognizing its uniqueness and success, the DPP restructuring was cited by ASIAMONEY as “The Best India Deal of 2005.” It was also chosen as one of the Outstanding Development Projects in the 2006 ADFIAP Awards in the Infrastructure Development category.
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