Thesis (BS Agribusiness Economics) -- University of the Philippines Mindanao, July 2022

At the moment, there remains a gap in terms of having a better understanding of the factors that determine access to finance. In the Philippine context, a gap exists in understanding which factors are significantly affecting the micro, small, and medium enterprises? (MSMEs) access to financial resources. To address this gap, the main objective of this study is to investigate the role of firm characteristics and innovation indicators in improving access to finance. Furthermore, it seeks to provide an empirical context by investigating access through three distinct indicators of firms? financial access. Using the data set from the World Bank Enterprise Surveys (2015), logit regression was performed to measure access to a line of credit/loan. The fractional logit regression was also performed to measure access to trade/supplier credit and financial source diversification. The findings of the regression estimation are robust after performing a series of robustness checks to validate the appropriateness of the models. The results suggest that firm size, private domestic ownership, firm age, external audit, bank accounts, and organizational innovation significantly affect obtaining a line of credit/loan. Meanwhile, firm age and international certification are found as robust determinants of improving access to trade/supplier credit. Furthermore, firm location, private domestic ownership, female ownership, bank accounts, and organizational innovation improve the degree of financial source of diversification. The recommendation for MSMEs is to pay attention to the significant determinants of access to finance to utilize positive determinants and preemptively plan to mitigate possible negative effects. On the other hand, the government is recommended to strategize while considering the significant determinants revealed to have a targeted approach in responding to the financing needs of Filipino MSMEs. VILLA, IKY. Gendered impacts of COVID-19? This paper investigated the operational performance of men and women-led MSMEs and the changes to the female distribution in the MSME sector in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the factors affecting these changes. A business impact survey was performed between 110 MSMEs in Davao Region with the aid of the Regional Inclusive Innovation Center which is a partnership of the academe, the industry and the government between October to December 2020. Operational performance of men and women-led entities were determined sing Mann-Whitney U Test, T-test, and Chi-square test. Changes in the female distribution across different level of management is analyzed using Binary Logit model. This study found that there were more men-led firms which were open at 76% or more capacity than women-led firms. Heavy disruption in the processing of products and heavy delay in their distribution in the availability of inputs impact the changes in the distribution of female workers under board of directors /owner/stockholder number of employees before during the lockdown for senior management number of employees during lockdown for middle management number of employees during lockdown and delivery of inputs for supervisor/team leader and number of employees during lockdown and processing of products for staff. The presence of accessible loans efficient and sustainable supply chains in the form of trainings like management plans and partnerships with different involved entities in the supply chains and protection among employees like income support for a period of time and insurance benefits would help women-led entities and women workers during crisis, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the need for women t step-up in the industry with the aid of several strategies coming from the government and non-government organizations would help then thrive during and even after the pandemic.