Josephine
Russiana, 45, cleans condominium units at Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig
for a living. As a mother of three, every peso counts to sustain her family’s
daily needs.
But
there are days when her hard-earned income simply isn’t enough. Her husband,
once a motorcycle taxi rider, had to give up the job when they could no longer
keep up with the motorcycle’s monthly payments. He now works part-time as a
family driver, leaving the family without a steady second source of income.
"Kumikita
ka, pero minsan kinakapos ka talaga," Josephine laments. (I bring in money
for my family but sometimes it is not enough.)
Josephine
recalls the day when she didn’t have enough money for her children’s baon for
school. She usually splits the P200 budget among her children. Fortunately, she remembered what a friend
told her once: GCash offers cash loan products to eligible users. She tried her
luck and was granted P100 instantly.
Josephine
was able to get this financial support via GLoan Sakto, a sachet-type (“tingi”)
loan, offered by Fuse Financing Inc., the lending arm of GCash. GLoan Sakto enables dignified lending where
they can borrow within a digital formal credit system eliminating the shame of
borrowing face-to-face or resorting to unregulated "5-6" predatory
lenders. These lenders charge loan shark rates, resulting in an even bigger
financial burden for the borrowers. GCash wants to end this cycle of debt traps
that only burn a deeper hole in Filipinos’ pockets.
Often
used as “pambale,” borrowing even just P100 can make a meaningful difference
for most Filipinos. Through GLoan Sakto, eligible users can borrow small
amounts, instantly credited to their wallets, with repayment set within 14 days
to help cover immediate needs such as buying a few kilos of rice or canned goods
for the family’s next meal.
The
next time she needed to borrow money, Josephine says GCash offered her an
increased sum: P300, which she used for her commuting expenses. Eventually,
Josephine was able to loan P1,000, allowing her to have additional budget for
food and utility expenses.
What
began as a short-term solution to Josephine became her entry point to formal
credit and a broader financial journey. Josephine was able to increase her
loanable amount because of timely repayments.
“Wala
pang due, binayaran ko na. Hindi po ako nagpapa-overdue,” Josephine says. (I
pay before the due date. I never let anything go overdue.)
A gateway to formal credit
For
most Filipino families, every sustainable credit journey starts with a first
step—often a modest one like this sachet-type loan.
"Josephine’s
story reflects why we launched GLoan Sakto in the first place—to give
hardworking Filipinos access to safe, reliable, and dignified credit,"
says Tony Isidro, president and CEO of Fuse Financing Inc. "Too many
families fall into debt traps because traditional loans are out of reach. With
GLoan Sakto, we are showing that even the smallest amount, paired with
responsible repayment, can open doors to financial confidence and
stability," he adds.
To
date, Fuse has served 9.5 million unique borrowers, 90% of whom are first-time
users of formal credit through Fuse—highlighting how the company and its
lending products have enabled many Filipinos to access formal financial
services for the first time.
“At
Fuse and GCash, we believe that there is good in doing good business— that’s
why we make affordable loans accessible, even to ‘high-risk’ segments because
they are the ones who were traditionally sidelined by other lenders and yet
needed support the most,” Isidro says.
Through
GLoan Sakto, GCash reaffirms its commitment to financial inclusion—empowering
millions of Filipinos to rise above daily struggles and build long-term
financial confidence. To know more about our lending products, visit gcash.com.
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