Philippines saw that cash remittances reached US$3.24 billion in July 2026, up 1.9% from US$3.18 billion in July 2025, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The United States remained the top source of inflows, followed by Singapore and Saudi Arabia, based on reported remittance transactions by origin. For the January-July period, cash remittances totalled US$20.39 billion, up 2.3% from US$19.93 billion a year earlier. Land-based workers accounted for US$16.35 billion of that total, up 2.4%, while sea-based workers contributed US$4.04 billion, up 2.0%. Seasonally adjusted personal remittances also increased in July. These include cash sent through banks and…

Skyro has begun rolling out a refreshed visual identity, launching first with a redesigned app in the Philippines on September 15. A wider rollout across all markets, advertising and partner touchpoints will follow in the coming weeks. The rebrand marks Skyro’s shift from a consumer loans provider into an international multi-product financial ecosystem. Launched in the Philippines in 2022, Skyro has grown to more than 7 million users. The company has also built a credit portfolio of more than US$200 million and reached operating break-even in the first half of 2026. The company is now looking to scale that success…

Ria Money Transfer is expanding its Outbound Service in the Philippines, working with M Lhuillier Financial Services to offer the service across its more than 3,000 branches nationwide, according to Ria Philippines’ President and CEO, Steve Peregrino’s LinkedIn post. The service lets Filipinos in the Philippines send money abroad, reversing the inbound remittance flow that made Ria’s name in the country. Through the Outbound Service, senders can reach 200 countries and territories, with access to more than 600,000 agent locations, over 4 billion bank accounts, and more than 3 billion e-wallets worldwide, per Ria’s own network figures. The expansion builds…

For fifty years, core banking systems were designed around one user: a person at a screen. Screens, workflows, overnight batch, all of it built on the same assumption; that a person clicks the buttons. That assumption has expired.  AI agents read, decide and act without clicking anything. Instead, agents query data, call APIs and complete tasks on their own. Which means your banking software now has a second user, and it was never designed for one. This is why so many AI projects in banking stall. MIT’s Project NANDA found roughly 95% of enterprise generative AI pilots deliver zero measurable…

Maya has launched the Bukad Card, a special-edition Visa-powered card featuring illustrations by Filipino artist Raxenne Maniquiz, according to Maya’s own deals page. The card takes its name from “bukadkad,” the Filipino word for a flower in full bloom, and its release marks Maya’s full transition to 100% recycled plastic across all newly produced wallet cards, ahead of the company’s year-end target. “Sustainability must be built into daily operations,” said Shailesh Baidwan, Maya Group President. “This makes responsible sourcing standard for products customers use every day.” Maniquiz’s illustrations fill the card with flowers, foliage and wildlife inspired by Philippine nature,…

MUFG Bank Ltd.’s Manila branch has secured a universal banking licence from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), according to Manila Bulletin. The upgrade lets the branch offer broader financial solutions to corporations and institutions, moving up from the commercial banking status it held since 1995. The BSP’s Monetary Board approved MUFG’s request through Resolution No. 438, dated May 21, 2026, and the central bank issued the corresponding Certificate of Authority on June 5, according to BusinessWorld. MUFG Manila began operating as a universal bank on September 1, continuing under the same corporate name. “Securing our universal banking license is…

GCash has partnered with Superama, a homegrown supermarket chain with multiple branches in Cotabato City, to make everyday essentials more accessible for local families through cashless payments. Superama customers can now pay for groceries and daily needs using GCash instead of cash or standing in ATM lines. Beyond payments, the partnership gives Superama customers access to GCredit and GGives, GCash’s credit line and instalment facilities, for added flexibility when shopping. GCash said the collaboration also helps Superama streamline its own operations while better serving its community. The deal adds to GCash’s broader push into Mindanao and the wider Bangsamoro Autonomous…

Maya’s Visa wallet cards are now available on Google Wallet and Google Pay, according to Manila Standard. The rollout covers both physical and virtual Maya Visa cards, meaning all of Maya’s Visa cards, credit and wallet, are now supported. This expands on Maya’s earlier Google Wallet and Google Pay rollout for credit cardholders in November 2025, when Maya was one of the first issuers in the Philippines to launch the technology. Wallet cardholders can now pay using Google Pay across shops, public transport and tourist destinations. Visa’s tokenisation technology powers Google Pay transactions, replacing actual card numbers with unique digital…

Visa is more than doubling its office footprint at the SM Mall of Asia Complex, according to InsiderPH. The payments company is relocating from about 4,000 square meters at Five E-com Center to a 9,000-square-meter facility at Four E-com Center, remaining within the same business district. The expanded space houses the Visa Philippines Solution Center, bringing administrative, financial and technology functions together under a 24/7 operating model. SM Offices and Visa formalised the expansion through a lease agreement. “Expanding to Four E-com Center was a natural decision as we continue to grow our business and support our people,” said Chari…

Eight Philippine banks were included in Forbes’ inaugural World’s Top Performing Banks ranking for 2026. Created with market research firm Statista, the ranking takes a financial-performance approach rather than relying primarily on customer surveys. Forbes drew on financial data from sources including S&P Capital IQ, its own research and information provided by participating banks. Banks were evaluated across profitability, growth and earnings quality, capital and funding resilience, and asset quality and efficiency. Profitability accounted for 30% of the overall score, while capital and funding resilience and asset quality and efficiency each carried a 25% weighting. Growth and earnings quality made…

Financial institutions have invested heavily in securing digital onboarding and account opening journeys. Identity verification, document checks, and fraud screening have become standard practice across banking, fintech, and digital financial services. Yet despite these investments, fraudsters are increasingly shifting their focus beyond onboarding and targeting trusted customer accounts that have already been established. This evolution is creating new challenges for organisations that must protect customers without introducing friction that negatively impacts the digital experience. Entrust’s webinar explores how account takeover attacks are evolving, why traditional controls are being challenged, and what financial institutions can do to strengthen account protection across…

Shopee has launched ShopeeVIP+ as per Shopee Indonesia’s Executive Director, Handhika Jahja’s post on his LinkedIn. The deal is a subscription programme bundling Netflix access with shopping perks, marking Netflix’s first e-commerce partnership in Southeast Asia. The programme rolled out on September 8 across Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. The news builds on ShopeeVIP, the loyalty programme Shopee introduced across the region last year. Subscribers get a Netflix Mobile Plan bundled into their ShopeeVIP+ subscription. They can also upgrade to Netflix’s Basic, Standard or Premium tiers for wider access. This includes higher video quality and simultaneous streaming across more devices.…

Billease has doubled its credit facility with Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) to PHP 1 billion, a year after the two institutions began their lending relationship with an initial PHP 500 million facility. The expanded, one-year partnership now extends beyond term lending into corporate cash management, savings (CASA) and foreign exchange services. The facility is among the first in the Philippines to use the Personal Property Security Registry (PPSR). This is the centralised movable-asset registry launched by the Land Registration Authority under the Personal Property Security Act. It creates a registered, perfected security interest over Billease’s consumer loan receivables. This…

GCash has launched GSukli, a feature that lets customers receive their loose change directly into their GCash wallet instead of carrying it home, according to GCash’s own newsroom. The feature is free to use and is now live at all Bench branches nationwide, with more Suyen Corporation brands set to add it soon. At participating cashiers, customers give their registered GCash mobile number at checkout. GCash credits the change directly to the customer’s wallet for transactions with change up to PHP 199.99, and sends an SMS confirmation once the transfer goes through. From there, the balance can be used across…

UnionDigital Bank has begun accepting applications for SSS LoanLite through its mobile app, according to SSS’s own announcement. The digital microloan programme, which SSS first unveiled in September 2025 alongside UnionBank, is now live for qualified members a year after it was announced. LoanLite is the first SSS loan facility for employed members that doesn’t require employer certification, normally a requirement for conventional SSS short-term loans. Applications and related transactions happen entirely within the UnionDigital app, with eligible applications potentially processed and approved within minutes. Qualified members can borrow PHP 1,000 to PHP 20,000, depending on the average of their…

Moneymax, the Philippines platform of MoneyHero Limited, has partnered with East West Banking Corporation (EastWest) to expand access to personal loan products for Filipino consumers. The partnership comes amid sustained growth in Philippine consumer lending. Consumer loans, which include credit cards and general-purpose loans, expanded 21.4% year-on-year in December 2025, outpacing growth in business lending, according to data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). By adding EastWest to its platform, Moneymax broadens the range of established lenders available for consumers to compare. The partnership also supports EastWest’s digital customer acquisition strategy. “This partnership strengthens our personal loan offering in…

Asialink Finance Corporation is expanding its housing finance network through partnerships with four real estate developers: Philippine Estates Corporation, Ferti-Acres Inc., Masaito Development Corporation and Vester Corporation. The partnerships give qualified property buyers an additional financing option, as the Philippines works to address an estimated 3.7 million housing units needed through 2028. The expansion comes as housing supply and financing remain key components of the country’s broader homeownership agenda. From July 2022 to June 2026, the government facilitated the delivery of 575,693 housing units, with 368,731 families assisted through government housing financing programmes. “The housing challenge is not only about…

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) wants to suspend the registration of new payment system operators for a year, as part of tighter safeguards meant to make merchant payments traceable and curb fraud and illicit transactions, according to Philstar. Payment system operators are entities that run arrangements enabling payments and fund transfers. “The suspension is being imposed to facilitate the BSP’s holistic review of the OPS taxonomy and licensing framework, including the attendant risk management and regulatory considerations,” BSP said. Applications received before the suspension will continue to be evaluated, though none can be approved or denied until the pause…

Swiftpay has added Billease as a buy now, pay later (BNPL) payment option at online checkout. Merchants already accepting payments through Swiftpay can enable Billease from their existing setup, and it appears as a payment option to shoppers at checkout. Many online merchants hold back from adding BNPL because it usually means a separate API integration, credentials, and a new reconciliation process. Offering Billease through Swiftpay removes that overhead, keeping payment acceptance, settlement and reporting in the same place merchants already use, with credit decisions happening inside the checkout flow. Swiftpay offers Billease transactions in tenors of 6, 9, 12,…

Western Union and JuanPay have partnered to expand access to international money transfer services and remittance across the Philippines, with an initial rollout covering around 1,400 of JuanPay’s roughly 2,000 company-owned and franchise-operated outlets nationwide. The companies signed the partnership on September 2, 2026, at Western Union’s office in Quezon City. The arrangement combines Western Union’s network, which spans more than 200 countries and territories, with JuanPay’s reach in provincial markets and communities with strong ties to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). JuanPay’s outlets already offer services such as bills and loan payments, government transactions, and pharmacy services; customers will now…