Visa and CIBI Forge Alliance to Boost Financial Inclusion in the Philippines
The partnership aims to develop data-driven credit solutions to expand access to Filipinos with limited credit histories.
Visa (NYSE: V), a global digital payments network, and CIBI Information, Inc. (CIBI), a Philippine credit bureau, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore and pilot innovative, data-driven credit solutions aimed at expanding responsible access to credit for underserved Filipinos.
Many Filipinos—including gig workers, BPO employees, and OFWs—remain underserved due to limited credit histories.
Through this exclusive partnership, Visa combines its global payments technology and Credit Lab expertise with CIBI’s position as the country’s first credit reporting agency. Credit Lab is Visa’s end-to-end solution that combines fraud detection management with alternative data enrichment (through the use of telco, utilities, device, and other behavioral consumer data) to assist clients in credit decisions.
“Credit scoring has long been a key gap in our industry, with many Filipinos remaining ‘thin-file’ despite their active participation in the economy,” Jeffrey Navarro, Country Manager of Visa Philippines, said.
“Through this partnership, we look forward to complementing Visa’s Credit Lab with CIBI’s leadership as a credit bureau to innovate solutions that expand access to credit and set new industry benchmarks,” he said. “This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to inclusive growth and strengthening the digital economy.”
Advantages for Philippine Financial Institutions
The partnership also addresses the need among banks, digital lenders, and issuers to expand acquisition responsibly and manage risk with deeper intelligence.
Visa and CIBI will jointly develop solutions that enable B2B partners to:
- Expand Credit Acquisition for Issuers – Improved data and models help issuers confidently approve responsible credit for thin-file consumers.
- Better SME Risk Assessment – Lenders gain clearer visibility into SME borrowers, enabling more accurate and scalable lending decisions.
- Access Data-Driven Industry Insights for Portfolio Growth – Deeper market intelligence helps institutions identify new segments, spot growth opportunities, and refine credit strategies.
These outcomes are at par with the shared vision of Visa and CIBI, which is to strengthen the financial ecosystem through analytics-driven innovation and trusted data, whilst enabling responsible growth among institutions.
A Partnership Based on Inclusion, Innovation, and Trust
Trusted data has the power to unlock opportunity, according to Pia Arellano, President and CEO of CIBI Information, Inc.
The partnership reinforces the company’s role as a nation-building partner through trusted data, as it continues to empower individuals and small businesses through responsible credit and financial literacy.
“This partnership with Visa is deeply aligned with our purpose of building a more inclusive, transparent, and trusted financial ecosystem through data,” Arellano said. “When individuals and small businesses gain responsible access to credit, they gain the power to grow, to recover, and to contribute more meaningfully to the economy.”
Credit access comes with empowerment, she added: “Today, we do not simply sign an agreement—we affirm our shared responsibility to use data wisely, to enable inclusion, and to build a stronger financial future for the Philippines.”
The Next 12 Months and Beyond
Visa and CIBI will explore new credit use cases, develop industry insights on emerging credit behaviors, and support financial literacy initiatives nationwide over the next 12 months. The partnership’s activities reflect a shared commitment to inclusive growth, innovation, and trust in data, as both organizations take the lead in advancing responsible credit access in the Philippines.
The organizations also expressed strong optimism on the partnership’s impact. “We look forward to the impact this collaboration will bring over the next 12 months and beyond,” Navarro said.
Success will be measured by how many Filipinos the partnership can include – “securely, responsibly, and sustainably,” noted Arellano.
