The month of August 2022 held an important and exciting occasion for the regional project in Indonesia and the Philippines.
Since the beginning of this regional project in April 2020, and after more than two years of pandemic, the borders were finally opened again, allowing Project Manager Mr. Harald Felzen to visit the project countries for the first time. The goal of the visit was primarily to get to know the team on site, meet with project partners, to discuss the status quo and progress of the collaboration, as well as to observe the possibilities of future potential collaborations within the regional project.
In Indonesia, Mr. Felzen visited the project region Bali, and the capital Jakarta. In Bali, accompanied by the Indonesian team, he met with current project partners such as the rural banks namely BPR Kita Centradana and BPR Sukawati Pancakanti, the association of the rural bank in the province of Bali – DPD Perbarindo, and the regional Indonesian financial service authority, OJK KR-8.
The schedule in Jakarta served as an opportunity to meet key representatives of important organizations and interfaces, such the unit for economic cooperation of the German Embassy, the national level of the Indonesian financial service authority (OJK Pusat), representatives of GIZ, KfW, and the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Mr. Felzen continued his journey from Indonesia to the Philippines, the other regional project country where he met with partners and stakeholders in Manila and in Cagayan de Oro City on Mindanao Island, along with Mr. Michael Kuehl, the regional project coordinator for Indonesia and the Philippines. During his stay, Mr. Felzen got the chance to meet the DSIK Philippine team as well, with whom he shared important project updates.
Mr. Felzen's visit to the regional project in Indonesia and the Philippines was a resounding success. The regional team, partners, and stakeholders were delighted to meet the DSIK Project Manager, who had travelled all the way from Germany. External circumstances permitting, the continuity of visits to the project countries will be raised again to once a year from now on.