Microenterprise in the Philippines

Year level: Upper secondary Learning outcomes Students understand some of the factors which affect resource use and employment opportunities in the Philippines Read the case study, What a difference a loan can make. List some of the difficulties that are faced by many poor families in rural areas of the Philippines. Suggest reasons why credit availability and savings facilities are important when setting up and running a small business. Discuss whether rural families in Australia would face the same problems and what programs aim to address them. Select one of the micro-enterprises and draw up a chart to show how the loan was used. Why was this activity chosen? What equipment or other resources did the activity require? What skills did the workers need to run the business? Who would be likely to buy the products? What did the loan enable the workers to do? What problems might have been encountered? What long term changes might occur? How sustainable might this form of aid be? Imagine you are part of the team of project workers and community members deciding who would receive loans, how much they could borrow, and for what purpose. What rules would be necessary to manage the loans? What problems might need to be addressed? Imagine you are one of the people in the case study who received a loan. Write an application for a loan describing the business, the cost involved, the expected income and repayment schedule. Assessment task Create a PNQ chart about the effectiveness of microenterprise loans for overcoming poverty from the point of view of a recipient of microcredit.