MANILA, Philippines — BPI Direct BanKo Inc., the microfinance arm of the Bank of the Philippine Islands, has forged a strategic partnership with Electronic Commerce Payments Inc. (ECPay) in a move to bring banking closer to underserved Filipinos.
The partnership is seen to bolster BanKo’s financial inclusion efforts by tapping into ECPay’s extensive network of over 300,000 payment touchpoints nationwide, including pawnshops, convenience stores, malls, sari-sari stores, supermarkets and remittance centers.
It also aims to make loan payment more convenient for BanKo clients, especially for self-employed micro-entrepreneurs (SEMEs) and underserved communities.
“Our partnership with ECPay allows us to bring essential financial services even closer to everyday Filipinos — especially the SEMEs. With ECPay’s wide network, it’s now even more convenient for our clients to settle their loans on time,” BanKo president Rod Mabiasen Jr. said.
“By making payments easier and more accessible, we’re helping them stay on track financially,” Mabiasen said.
BanKo clients can now use more than 1,300 ECPay kiosks nationwide and over 10,000 other non-ECPay self-service kiosks for their loan transactions. The move also connects BanKo to ECPay’s digital collection platform of over 100 partners, enabling millions of users to access secure and seamless services.
