At the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2026 in New York, GCash’s parent company Mynt’s President and CEO Martha Sazon opened a discussion on financial inclusion in the Philippines, calling for technology that can make formal credit more accessible to Filipinos.
Held on September 23, the event brought together business and finance experts on building capital that opens more inclusive and sustainable markets. There, Sazon delivered her keynote address, “Rethinking Credit: From Invisible to Empowered,” centered on how technology can help remove barriers, but stated that its value is measured by how it enables people to participate and turn access into opportunity.
She pointed to barriers that have historically kept Filipinos from “formal borrowing,” or taking out a loan from a legally regulated financial institution, which includes documentation and established business credit that are notoriously difficult to acquire due to rigid paperwork and legal jargon.
The CEO noted that formal borrowing penetration in the Philippines remains at just 12 percent, among the lowest in Southeast Asia, leaving many people dependent on informal sources of credit (i.e., “paluwagan,” family and friends, online lenders, retail store owners).
Instead, Sazon shared that another way for Filipinos without traditional credit histories to demonstrate financial behavior is through their digital transactions like transferring money, paying and receiving bills online — exactly what GCash has been known for among Filipinos.
She laid out GScore, GCash’s proprietary AI-powered credit scoring system, which scores customers based on their digital financial behavior to evaluate creditworthiness. Through the system, eligible users can be “pre-approved” for loans without any additional requirements.
Sazon further shared that GCash offers credit starting at P100 to help customers cover short-term expenses. “For us, financial inclusion is a right, not a privilege,” she said.
Mynt recorded that GCash has financed more than 11 million borrowers, with around 7.5 million active accounts. For Sazon, expanding access to digital financing can transform the everyday financial hurdles of Filipinos while narrowing the gap in access to formal credit services among underserved communities. “Access alone is not enough. It also means making sure people are seen, treated fairly, and can borrow with dignity. And when people are given the right support, they can move forward with their heads held high,” the CEO added.
Ultimately, she noted that proper financial access can keep the economy moving, whether at the micro-level, like households, or the macro-level, like businesses. This is the purpose behind their company, GCash’s vision, “Finance for All,” which aims to use technology to make financial services more accessible and transform the financial journeys of Filipinos.
Mynt has also announced on October 2, that it set GCash’s initial public offering at P6.60 a share instead of its earlier ceiling of P10 to make stock market participation more attractive and inclusive. At this price point, the base offering is expected to raise approximately P53 to P61 billion. The public offer period will reportedly run from October 6 to 12, with the tentative listing date on October 20.
Frequently Asked Questions
Martha Sazon is the President and CEO of Mynt, GCash’s parent company. She delivered the keynote “Rethinking Credit: From Invisible to Empowered” on financial inclusion.
Formal borrowing penetration in the Philippines is 12 percent, among the lowest in Southeast Asia, leaving many Filipinos reliant on informal credit like paluwagan, family, friends, and online lenders.
GScore is GCash’s AI-powered credit scoring system. It evaluates creditworthiness from digital financial behavior, letting eligible users be pre-approved for loans without additional requirements.
GCash offers loans that start at P100 for short-term expenses.
Mynt set GCash’s IPO at P6.60 a share, down from a P10 ceiling. The offer period reportedly runs from October 6 to 12, with listing tentatively on October 20.
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