The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) anticipates launching government securities through the “GBonds” feature on the GCash mobile wallet between January and June of this year.

The Philippines’ Deputy Treasurer at the Bureau of the Treasury, Department of Finance, Sharon P. Almanza announced that GCash is currently testing the GBonds feature, which will utilise the Philippine Digital Asset Exchange, Inc. (PDAX) for bond trading.

“Hopefully, we can launch it (GBonds) in the first half of this year. GCash is still testing,” she said.

Initially slated for a December launch, the GBonds initiative aims to enhance financial inclusion among Filipinos. It is to allow retail investors to easily buy and sell government securities through the popular GCash platform.

Retail Treasury bonds typically have a minimum investment of P5,000 and are currently accessible via bank branches and other digital platforms like Bonds.PH. GCash, operated by G-Xchange, Inc. and a subsidiary of Globe Fintech Innovations, Inc. (Mynt), boasts over 94 million registered users.

The partnership with PDAX will enable these users to conveniently invest in government bonds. This development broadens investment opportunities for a significant portion of the population, leveraging GCash’s extensive reach.

The platform has also recently expanded its services through partnerships like the one with Ria Money Transfer for international remittances and is available in 16 markets worldwide.

The upcoming GBonds feature represents a significant step in making government investments more accessible to the average Filipino.

Featured image credit: Edited from Freepik.