Ant International, International Finance Corp., and GCash are building a sustainability impact scorecard designed to help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the Philippines qualify for financing tied to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards.
The tool aims to give MSMEs a clear way to measure their environmental and social impact, improve business practices, and align with global ESG benchmarks. It will run within the GCash ecosystem using metrics tailored to local conditions, making sustainability tracking simpler and more relevant for Filipino businesses.
MSMEs make up 99.6% of businesses in the Philippines and employ more than two-thirds of the workforce. Despite their scale, many struggle to access financing. The scorecard aims to help these businesses prove their sustainability performance, a growing requirement for lenders and investors offering green or impact-driven capital.
The platform will also help MSMEs build credibility with financial institutions by providing structured data on sustainability practices, which can be used in funding applications and partnerships.
“For MSMEs, this is a game-changer. It provides visibility into their environmental and social impact and credibility that can attract green capital and partnerships,” Winsley Bangit, group head for New Business at GCash, said.
“Crucially, MSMEs’ growing social impact cannot be overlooked,” Carrie Suen, VP and head of global affairs and strategic development at Ant International, said. “Through our collaboration with GCash and IFC, we are making technologies such as AI more accessible to local MSMEs, empowering them to participate in the next wave of sustainable digital transformation.”
Suen noted that the scorecard serves as a vital tool for future innovation.
“MSMEs play a critical role across markets. By equipping them with the right tools, we can strengthen resilience, support adaptation, and enable sustainable growth at scale,” Christina Ongoma, regional advisory manager for the financial institutions group at IFC East Asia and the Pacific, said.
The initiative builds on discussions during COP30 in Belém, Brazil, and aligns with Ant International’s Programme Sirius launched in 2024 to support MSMEs starting their sustainability journey.
The rollout will happen in phases, beginning with ecosystem assessments and stakeholder engagement, followed by development, validation, and field testing of the scorecard. Insights from the Philippine pilot may guide expansion across the Asia-Pacific region.
The partners said the project focuses on giving MSMEs practical, data-driven ESG tools so they can integrate sustainability into daily operations, grow responsibly, and connect with funding opportunities that were previously difficult to access.