Financial technology (fintech) firms are stepping up efforts to reach Filipinos with limited or no internet access, as industry leaders warn that connectivity gaps continue to block wider financial inclusion in the Philippines.
Data shows only 39% of the population has reliable digital and mobile access, leaving millions unable to fully use online financial services. The issue, discussed at the Money20/20 Philippines Summit, goes beyond access, focusing on how to enable consistent and secure transactions in low-connectivity environments.
Melchor Plabasan, senior director of the Technology Risk and Innovation Supervision Department (TRISD) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, said unstable internet disrupts security protocols and transaction finality for fintech platforms, while regulators face challenges expanding services beyond urban areas.
Private sector players are responding with solutions designed for so-called “zero connectivity” conditions, particularly in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA). These include online lending platforms optimizing apps for low bandwidth, deploying connectivity support in remote areas, and expanding payment options through web-based tools and partner networks.
Lito Villanueva, EVP and Chief Innovation and Inclusion Officer of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. and founding chair of FinTech Alliance PH, pointed to agency banking as a practical workaround to the country’s fragmented geography.
By working with sari-sari stores (neighborhood stores), pawnshops, and logistics hubs, banks and fintech firms can deliver basic services such as cash-in and cash-out, bills payment, and loan disbursement within local communities.
“When the government facilitates simple, low-cost, and equitable access to information from IDs, it increases trust and brings more Filipinos into the formal financial ecosystem,” said Arianne Ferrer, External Affairs Director at Tala Philippines and president of the Consumer Lending Association of the Philippines Inc. “We support building a strong digital public infrastructure so that instead of voluminous, varying information from different IDs, a single ID becomes the key to a verifiable, centralized, and high-quality repository of official information and digital transactions relevant to each Filipino.”
Tala Philippines is investing in artificial intelligence (AI) to expand access to credit. Its platform uses alternative and behavioral data for credit scoring, allowing users to apply for loans with just one valid ID and an Android phone. Loan approvals are processed quickly, with repayment terms ranging from 15 to 61 days.
The company also runs financial literacy programs such as the TALAkayan workshop series, aimed at helping users build better saving habits and protect themselves from fraud.
As digital finance adoption grows, industry players said solving connectivity issues will be key to reaching underserved Filipinos and closing the country’s financial inclusion gap.