Billease has officially renamed its banking arm, the Rural Bank of Sta. Maria (Ilocos Sur), to Billease Bank.

The company has also appointed Eduardo Bobier, a former Deputy Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), as an independent director, subject to BSP confirmation.

The rebrand integrates the rural bank into Billease’s broader digital ecosystem and lays the groundwork for the delivery of financial products including credit, savings and deposit services through a unified platform.

Billease acquired a majority stake in the rural bank in November 2025 as part of its expansion beyond consumer finance and BNPL services into digital-centric banking. The acquisition was intended to support the eventual rollout of broader banking services, including deposit products.

“Bringing the bank under the Billease name is a natural next step in our mission to expand access to responsible financial services for underbanked Filipinos,”

said Georg Steiger, CEO and Co-Founder of Billease.

Bobier brings more than 30 years of experience in central banking, treasury operations and corporate governance to the Billease Bank board.

He most recently served as Deputy Governor of the BSP’s Corporate Services Sector, overseeing control, budget and administrative functions.

His earlier roles at the central bank included Assistant Governor and Managing Director of the Comptrollership Sub-sector, along with senior positions in the Treasury Department.

BSP records confirm his previous roles in treasury, investment analytics and comptrollership.

His experience in institutional risk management and financial comptrollership will support the board’s governance and risk oversight functions as Billease Bank expands its operations.

Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Philippines, based on image by dit26978 via Magnific