The location and contact numbers of government financing agencies can now be accessed through text messaging.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday launched in Makati City the "Micro Asenso!" Text Facility that will enable small and medium-sized businessmen to locate micro-financing centers right in their areas, a press release from Malacañang said.

At the launching in Renaissance Hotel, Arroyo pushed the green button for the template message that the country's more than 60,000 small entrepreneurs can text to Globe's 2973 to get information on the P180-billion credit market available through the more than 3,000 micro-financing institutions across the country.

To find an MFI in Metro Manila, the borrower types the following message: "MICRO [space] FIND [space] NAME OF CITY" and send to 2973, the press release said. To find an MFI in the provinces, micro entrepreneurs could text the following message: "MICRO [space] FIND [space] NAME OF PROVINCE [comma] NAME OF TOWN" and send to 2973. Each text costs P2.50.

Officials who joined Arroyo yesterday People's Credit and Finance Corp. president Edgar Generoso and Globe Telecom president Gerardo Ablaza, the press release said.

The PCFC is the government's lead agency for micro finance services delivery, with the PCFC president also acting as the chairman of the Micro Finance Program Committee, the press release added.*

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