The Philippines’ push for greater financial inclusion took the global stage as Mynt President and CEO Martha Sazon shared how technology can help close the country’s financial access gap at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2026 in New York.
Taking the Main Stage on September 23, 2026, Sazon delivered a keynote address during “Capital and Markets as System Levers,” a session that brought together business and finance leaders to examine how capital and financial decisions can help build more inclusive and sustainable markets.
Technology is key to making credit more accessible
Traditional requirements such as documentation, collateral, and established credit histories have made formal borrowing difficult for many Filipinos. Sazon noted that formal borrowing penetration in the Philippines remains at just 12%— among the lowest in Southeast Asia— leaving many people dependent on informal sources of credit.
Technology offers another way forward by creating a clearer picture of how people manage money in their daily lives. Receiving payments, paying bills, sending money, and managing transactions can generate digital financial footprints that provide insight into a customer’s financial behavior.
GCash, the Philippines’ leading finance superapp and largest cashless ecosystem, uses these insights through GScore, its proprietary AI-powered credit scoring system. GScore assesses customers through their digital financial behavior, creating another pathway for people without traditional credit histories or collateral to demonstrate their creditworthiness. Eligible users can also be pre-approved for loans without additional requirements.
“For us, financial inclusion is a right, not a privilege,” Sazon said.
Putting the right financing within reach
Sazon emphasized that meaningful financial inclusion is not defined by access to larger loans alone. It also means providing financing that matches what people actually need, from managing expenses during petsa de peligro to paying for education or supporting a small business.
Through its financing ecosystem, GCash offers “sachet-sized” loans starting at ₱100, giving customers access to modest amounts that can help cover essentials such as rice, eggs, mobile load, or bills before payday.
Sazon emphasized the importance of these microloans in helping Filipinos get through the day. “Because for the underserved, meaningful credit isn’t always about a bigger loan. It’s about getting exactly what you need, when you need it,” she said.
With this, she shared the inspiring story of Atty. Sheila. The borrower is a full-time legal aide who turned to GCash for a loan to fund her bar review after falling short on her first attempt. She eventually passed the bar, showing how access to financing can help people pursue education and opportunities that may otherwise be out of reach.
“This loan wasn’t just another transaction. It was another shot at her dreams,” Sazon said.
The same principle applies when financing is needed for MSMEs. For small businesses, access to working capital can help entrepreneurs purchase inventory, manage day-to-day expenses, or invest in expansion.
Across these different needs, GCash financing has reached more than 11 million borrowers, with around 7.5 million active accounts. Women account for about half of borrowers, reflecting the reach of digital finance among groups that have historically faced barriers to formal financial services.
Making access meaningful
Expanding access must go hand in hand with responsible borrowing, fairness, and dignity. “Access alone is not enough. It also means making sure people are seen, treated fairly, and can borrow with dignity. And when people are given the right support, they can move forward with their heads held high,” she said.
As global leaders gathered in New York to discuss how business can mobilize capital toward stronger and more inclusive markets, Sazon’s message placed the Philippine experience in a broader conversation: technology can help remove barriers, but its value is measured by how it enables people to participate, build a financial footprint, access appropriate products, and turn access into opportunity.
For GCash, this is the purpose behind its vision of Finance for All: using technology to make financial services more accessible to the people who need them, helping transform individual financial journeys into meaningful progress.
For more information on the services and features of GCash, please visit www.gcash.com.
s 5,8,10, and 13, which focus on safety & security, financial inclusion, diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, respectively.
