Ian Pama’s journey home took a slightly different turn. He had barely trod the boards as a graduate of De La Salle University in 1997 when he was transplanted right into the thick of managing the newly-established Valiant Bank that the family-owned. “Talk about on-the-job training,” he laughs. This was the real thing.
“We are a relatively young bank,” Ian concedes. But the youth of both the business and its leader has been more of a help than a hindrance to its development. “We have been more open in adapting newer technologies to the rural banking industry. We’re probably the most non-traditional rural bank around,” he adds.
Already, Valiant has reached number one in the Visayas in capitalization and resources and is slowly expanding its reach to other parts of the region. Ian himself has branched out into low-cost housing with IVQ Landholdings. And as president of the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines, he has virtually assumed the stewardship of the local rural banking industry, “Rural banking is one of the pillars of Iloilo’s progress. And we will do everything we can to safeguard its presence in the hearts and minds of all Ilonggos.
Source: Ilonggo Initiatives published by Iloilo Business Club (2011)
