The study aims to identify the financial and non-financial techniques of professional and non-professional money lending in Manila from 1998 to 1999, as well as their level of importance and perceived contribution to money lending profitability. Based on the pilot survey conducted during the first quarter of 1999, there are 14 financial techniques covered. Five non-financial techniques are likewise tackled, namely: character, capacity, collateral, condition, and capital. The sample population included 89 moneylenders in Manila registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as of 1998. The Porter's Five Forces Model is applied to assess the collective strength of the industry's profitability. Findings reveal that only the capital structure theory is not significant in terms of its level of importance and its perceived contribution to a professional moneylender's profitability. Meanwhile, all the five non-financial techniques are deemed significant with regard to their level of importance and perceived as contributory to the profitability of professional moneylenders in Manila.
