Subhashini Chandran, Mastercard Senior Vice President for the Center for Inclusive Growth; Suhail Khan, Director for Private Sector Financial Institutions at the Asian Development Bank; and Tony Isidro, president and chief executive officer of Fuse Financing Inc. (left to right), speak with journalists following the launch of their institutions’ partnership to expand financing for micro, small, and medium enterprises at the SMX Convention Center in Taguig City on Friday (Feb. 6, 2026). Under the partnership, ADB will extend a PHP 1.75-billion loan facility to Fuse Financing Inc., while Mastercard will provide program funding aimed at strengthening financial inclusion among MSMEs. (PNA photo by Joann Villanueva)
Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the Philippines—especially women-owned businesses—are poised to gain wider access to financing after the Asian Development Bank approved a P1.75-billion lending facility for Fuse Financing Inc., marking the institution’s first fintech-focused loan program in Asia.
ADB Director for Private Sector Financial Institutions Suhail Khan said the partnership aligns with the Philippine government’s broader push to close financing gaps for MSMEs, which remain the backbone of the economy.
“I think it is a matter of pride for the Philippines that, out of all Asia, this is the first fintech lending facility that ADB has done with anybody,” Khan said in a media interview following the launch of the partnership at the SMX Convention Center in Taguig City. He noted that the milestone reflects ADB’s rigorous due diligence and confidence in the local digital finance ecosystem.
Fuse Financing Inc. is the lending arm of GCash, the country’s leading mobile payments platform operated by Globe Fintech Innovations Inc. The facility is expected to strengthen Fuse’s ability to extend credit to underserved MSMEs, which account for about 99.5 percent of total employment and roughly 35 percent of national economic output.
Beyond the loan itself, ADB will provide $125,000 (around P7.3 million) in technical assistance to help Fuse design more tailored financial products and roll out financial and digital literacy programs, with a strong focus on women entrepreneurs.
The initiative is further supported by Mastercard, which is contributing Impact Fund resources to help Fuse reach its target beneficiaries and advance inclusive finance outcomes.
Khan said half of the loan facility will be directed to MSMEs operating in provinces with poverty incidence above the national average, with the goal of providing revolving capital that can help business owners scale up operations and gradually move out of poverty. He added that digital lending platforms also improve transparency and enable better monitoring of how funds are used.
Overall, Khan described the collaboration as mutually beneficial for development partners, fintech players, and small businesses alike.
Fuse Financing Inc. president and chief executive officer Tony Isidro echoed that optimism, saying the program is anchored on clear performance metrics and leverages ADB’s extensive experience in development finance.
“That’s a testament to how serious we are about really making an impact in the MSME space,” Isidro said, while stopping short of giving a timeline for the full deployment of the funds.