Embedded finance has settled into the region’s everyday digital life. Payments, credit and wallets now sit inside platforms customers use for something else entirely. What has not settled is who captures the value. The platform owns the journey and the data. Someone further back supplies the licence, the balance sheet and the underlying infrastructure and carries the risk when something goes wrong. Both sides claim the customer, and the economics between them are still being renegotiated deal by deal. The competitive picture is also shifting. Some platforms have stopped partnering for banking capability and started acquiring it. Some fintechs are…

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB) have signed a memorandum of understanding to expand financing options for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), including those seeking to acquire electric vehicles, according to BusinessWorld. The partnership will support DTI’s E-Transport Loan Program, helping transport operators, cooperatives and other enterprises secure funding to shift from gas-powered vehicles to EVs. “Today’s MoU creates a vital bridge for Filipino enterprises to access the right capital they need to grow and compete,” said Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque to Manila Times. “We need other banks to help assist SBCorp…

Maya is letting eligible users upgrade their accounts without photographing or uploading a physical ID, according to Wazzup.PH. Users only need to provide details they already know, such as their name and birthday, or their National ID number if they have it saved. Maya checks these details against the user’s National ID records through National ID eVerify, the Philippine Statistics Authority’s identity-verification service. Once verified, users take a quick video selfie to help confirm their identity, then fill in only whatever additional details Maya still needs. If Maya can’t verify a user’s information through National ID eVerify, users can simply…

GCash is letting fully verified users open a brokerage account with AB Capital Securities Inc. directly within its app through GStocks PH, allowing investments in Philippine stocks starting at PHP 500, according to YugaTech. Users can complete registration in minutes, fund their trading wallet, and invest in more than 280 companies listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). To get started, users open the GCash app, select the GStocks PH icon from the Homepage or Invest tab, choose AB Capital Securities as their broker, and complete the application process. GCash approves applications in real time. Once registered, users can top…

Some GCash services will be unavailable overnight as BancNet, the Philippines’ interbank payments network, undergoes scheduled system maintenance, according to ABS-CBN News. The maintenance runs from 11:30 PM tonight to 1:30 AM on September 29, according to GCash’s own Help Center advisory. During this window, Bank Transfer, Cash In via InstaPay and Pay QR via QR Ph will be unavailable. GCash advised users to plan their transactions accordingly to avoid disruption. This marks the second BancNet maintenance window to affect GCash within a week, following a similar outage on September 24 that also disabled the same three services. BancNet functions…

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has issued capital and other requirements for thrift, rural and cooperative banks shifting to digital bank business models. The move aims to ensure these banks operate safely and soundly. Under Circular No. 1240, dated September 21, 2026, BSP identifies existing thrift banks, rural banks and cooperative banks operating under a business model similar to a digital bank. These banks must meet the same PHP 1 billion minimum capital requirement applicable to digital banks, among other requirements. Covered banks have six months to comply from receipt of BSP’s notice. The same PHP 1 billion threshold…

Antom, Ant International’s merchant payment and digitisation services provider, has announced a series of leadership appointments across Southeast Asia. The moves aim to strengthen synergy among its regional brands and offer merchants more unified, AI-native payment solutions. Antom has appointed Nabilah Alsagoff, co-founder and former Chief Operating Officer of DOKU, as Head of Product for Antom SEA. She will oversee product development and a unified product roadmap across the region. Chris Yeo, former CEO of DOKU, becomes Head of Antom Philippines and Country Head of 2C2P Philippines. Drawing on prior experience at DOKU, Grab and PayPal, he will oversee Antom’s…

DragonFi Securities Inc., the stock brokerage arm of DoubleDragon Corp, has received approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to test a product letting Filipino investors access pre-approved US stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) without opening an account with a foreign broker. Those seeking US equity exposure currently rely on international brokers, often without direct oversight from Philippine regulators. DragonFi’s model uses an over-the-counter depositary receipt, a locally issued security that tracks the value of a specific US stock or ETF. Buyers hold the local receipt rather than the foreign share directly, gaining exposure to US markets while keeping…

GCash parent Mynt could secure US$70 million from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) ahead of its planned Philippine IPO. BusinessWorld reported that IFC plans to participate as a cornerstone investor by acquiring Mynt common shares from its own account, with the proposed commitment valued at about PHP 4.4 billion. The investment, known as Project Hiraya, remains subject to approval. Mynt has since secured approvals from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Philippine Stock Exchange for the planned offering. The company will list on the PSE Main Board under the ticker GCASH. The offering covers up to 8.03 billion firm…

Southeast Asia’s first ceramic credit card uses the same zirconia as luxury watches, and there is no application form. The card chooses you. Andrew Jong, Managing Director of Personal Financial Services at Hong Leong Bank, and Atul Singh, Global Head of Distribution at Giesecke+Devrient (G+D), join Vincent Fong to talk through HLB opus, the invitation-only card Hong Leong launched on Visa’s new Infinite Privilege tier.

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…

Security Bank plans to introduce Apple Pay and Google Pay for its customers in the second half of 2027 as the Philippine lender upgrades its core credit card infrastructure, according to a report by The Philippine Star. “We’re changing our system, our core credit card system,” said Victor Lee, President and CEO of Security Bank. Lee said the bank expects both services to become available in the second half of next year. Once launched, eligible Security Bank cardholders will be able to use their cards with the digital payment services for mobile transactions. Apple Pay integration is also part of…

Mitsubishi Corporation is investing approximately 120 billion yen to increase its stake in Philippine conglomerate Ayala Corporation. The transaction will deepen their strategic alliance across consumer-facing businesses, building on their previous collaboration and joint investment in Mynt, the operator of GCash. Mitsubishi expects its voting interest in Ayala to increase to 20%. The acquisition will follow Ayala’s repurchase of its own shares through a tender offer and other means, with completion expected within FY2026, subject to regulatory approvals and applicable tender offer requirements. Expanded cooperation will cover a broad range of consumer-facing businesses, including financial services, telecommunications and retail. Mitsubishi…

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), supported by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health (UNSGSA), have launched the ASEAN Financial Health Challenge, as only three in ten Filipino adults say their savings would last through a loss of income. According to BSP’s 2025 Consumer Finance and Inclusion Survey, 48% of Filipino adults said raising emergency funds would be very difficult, and another 15% said they couldn’t do it at all. The initiative invites regulators, financial institutions, fintechs and innovators to develop scalable solutions for three financial health needs: responsible credit…

Visa has expanded its Visa Infinite card lineup in the Philippines, adding two new tiers aimed at the country’s growing affluent segment, BusinessWorld told. Spending on affluent cards in the Philippines rose 49% over a six-month period as of April 2026, Visa said, citing internal data. “In a consumption-driven economy such as the Philippines, payments continue to shape how people dine, travel, shop, and pursue their passions. The modern Filipino affluent is evolving to seek more intentional and globally-connected experiences, prioritising personalisation and meaning over traditional signals of status,” said Jeffrey V. Navarro, Visa Philippines Country Manager. He added that…

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has found online casinos posing as beauty salons, bakeries and other ordinary businesses to process bets through payment platforms, according to Bloomberg. BSP has since closed more than 8,000 merchant accounts over alleged illegal activities, and payment providers now face license revocation if they repeatedly fail to screen out such businesses. BSP’s surveillance flagged merchants that appeared unremarkable on paper but were accepting thousands of payments as small as PHP50, often past midnight and into the early morning. Authorities determined the transactions were bets placed with online casinos. Illegal operators used the identities of…

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company (Metrobank) has appointed Anthony Paul C. Yap as Head of the Institutional Banking Sector, effective January 1, 2027, according to Asian Banking & Finance. He has served as Deputy Sector Head of the Institutional Banking Sector since July 1, supporting a planned leadership transition within the division ahead of taking the top role. Yap brings 29 years of banking experience spanning trading, treasury, branch banking, corporate banking and overseas banking. He currently serves as Chairman of ORIX Metro Leasing and Finance, a joint venture between Metrobank and Japan’s ORIX Corp specialising in leasing and financing…

Billease has launched Billease Deals on the web at deals.billease.ph, extending its in-app shopping feature to any mobile browser. Deals previously ran only inside the Billease app. It launched in 2025 focused on mobile phones, before expanding into a wider range of electronics through a ProTech Devices partnership that December. On Deals, the brand or distributor acts as the seller. They set the price, list the product and handle fulfilment and delivery. Billease hosts the listing, brings the shopper, and provides instalment financing at checkout. This positions Billease as a hosted storefront tool where the brand sells and Billease finances.…

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Standard Chartered Bank Philippines to jointly study investment and urban development opportunities in the Clark Freeport Zone and New Clark City, according to BusinessWorld. The agreement, signed September 3, covers knowledge-sharing, quarterly discussions and joint feasibility evaluations for potential projects. Following the studies, Standard Chartered may recommend financing solutions and other forms of support for projects it considers feasible and viable, and could negotiate a separate agreement with BCDA on the appropriate mode of collaboration for individual projects. The partnership does not automatically commit either party…

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…