Photo Caption: PBCOM President and CEO John Cary Ong (left) and Billease co-founder and CEO Georg Steiger (right) shake hands after signing the ₱500-million credit facility in Manila on October 30, 2026.
MANILA, Philippines — Billease, one of the Philippines’ leading consumer finance and buy-now-pay-later platforms, today announced it signed a ₱500-million credit facility with the Philippine Bank of Communications (PBCOM). PBCOM joins Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) and Philippine National Bank (PNB) among the Philippine banks funding Billease, continuing a run of local bank facilities the company has signed this year.
The agreement was signed in Manila by Georg Steiger, co-founder and CEO of Billease, and John Cary Ong, President and CEO of PBCOM.
Making retail credit bankable
Founded in 1939, PBCOM is one of the Philippines’ longest-standing banks and today operates as a universal bank. Retail consumer credit is hard for a bank to reach directly at scale: it means millions of small, short-term loans, often to borrowers who are new to credit.
Billease turns that into an exposure a bank can underwrite. As with its RCBC and PNB facilities, the facility is secured by a pool of Billease’s consumer loans registered through the Philippines’ Personal Property Security Registry. The pool is over-collateralized and kept topped up with performing loans. PBCOM holds a first-ranking claim over a granular, diversified portfolio rather than exposure to a few large borrowers.
Banks and fintechs, increasingly on the same side
Billease originates, underwrites and services consumer loans, including for customers with thin or no credit histories. Partnerships with banks provide an additional source of capital to support this lending business, allowing each institution to contribute its respective capabilities and more Filipinos to gain access to affordable, transparent credit as a result.
“A few years ago, banks and fintech lenders were mostly seen as competitors. That is changing. Banks have the capital and want retail exposure, and we have the origination, underwriting and collections to deploy it responsibly. What lets a bank say yes is evidence. We now have several years of audited results and loan performance that a bank can test for itself. PBCOM did that work, and we are glad to have them with us,” said Garret Go, Chief Financial Officer of Billease.
“For more than eight decades, PBCOM has grown alongside Filipino businesses and households. This facility enables us to extend our support to the unbanked or underbanked Filipino consumers in a prudent and sound manner, by working with a trusted partner with a strong track record and a good reputation. It reflects our commitment to responsible lending and to widening access to finance for more Filipinos.” said John Cary Ong, President and CEO of Philippine Bank of Communications
A broader local funding base, from a conservative balance sheet
Local bank debt has become an increasingly important part of Billease’s funding strategy, providing peso-denominated funding to support its peso loan portfolio. Alongside equity and international lenders, local bank financing helps diversify the company’s funding sources and strengthens its relationships with Philippine financial institutions. The company’s entry into banking through its rural bank is expected to broaden that funding base further over time.
Billease funds that growth from a strong balance sheet. In FY2025, it grew revenue by more than 80% to ₱8.7 billion, generated EBITDA of approximately ₱1.2 billion, and delivered net profit of ₱782 million, its third consecutive year of profitability. Its gross loan book grew by more than 77% to approximately ₱12.5 billion. As of 31 December 2025, it held total equity of approximately ₱6.4 billion against total borrowings of ₱7.1 billion, a debt-to-equity ratio of roughly 1:1, leaving ample headroom for more well-secured local debt.
Supporting households and local businesses
The funding also reaches the businesses Billease works with. Through Billease Deals, now also open on the web at deals.billease.ph, merchants can sell to millions of pre-approved Billease customers with no platform commissions, listing charges or payment markups. Sellers can put those savings into 0% down payment and zero-interest offers, and customers pay over time using their existing Billease credit limit. At a time when households are watching their budgets closely and many businesses are under pressure, Deals helps keep purchases affordable for customers and sales flowing for merchants.
“Each bank that comes on board makes our funding broader and more resilient. It also says something about where the market is going: established Philippine banks are ready to fund consumer lending when it is done with discipline and transparency. In a tougher economy, that funding goes straight back to Filipino households and the local businesses they buy from. We would welcome more banks into that conversation,” said Georg Steiger, co-founder and CEO of Billease.
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