Financial super app GCash, together with Fuse Lending Inc., introduces GCash Sakto Loans, a nano loan offer that enables GCash users to easily borrow small amounts as ‘pambale,’ as it seeks to provide more Filipinos with access to fair, easy and inclusive loan options without the need for bureaucratic paperwork.

 
A GCash study found that nine out of 10 Filipinos have to borrow money to make ends meet. But with the rigorous loan application process set by formal institutions and banks, more than half resort to borrowing from informal lenders with high interest rates and sometimes abusive collection practices.
“Sakto Loans serves as an expansion of our suite of lending options GLoan, GCredit and GGives, which has provided users with a convenient way to borrow money with just a few taps on their phone. Through access to fair lending, we are able to provide more Filipinos access to borrowing means that truly prioritizes their needs,” said Tony Isidro, CEO of Fuse.
 
During the GCash x Fuse: Borrow for Tomorrow, an immersive product showcase held in Maybank Performing Arts Theater last August 30, GCash officially introduced Fuse as its lending arm.
 
“We at GCash take great pride in the fact that our story and our success are written and rooted on the ground. We are deeply connected to all our customers. We know them, we seek to understand their circumstances, and we are right there with them, providing digital solutions that ease the challenges of daily life,” Martha Sazon, CEO of GCash, underscored.
  
Since 2016, Fuse has disbursed PHP 100 billion in loans and has helped over 3 million Filipinos achieve their dreams. With the inclusion of a nano-loan offer in its extensive lineup of lending products, GCash and Fuse hope to expand its vision of making financial services more accessible to Filipinos, including the unbanked.
 
“We are committed to perfecting our lending solutions because we believe that Filipinos deserve better loan options,” Isidro noted. “And we are grateful that in the course of helping borrowers nationwide, we have also grown three times more than we did in 2022.”
 
GCash Sakto Loans for ‘sakto’ needs
 
GCash Sakto Loans is an extension of GLoan, GCash’s instant cash loan, and GGives, its light and flexible buy now pay later loan. With no additional minimum requirements needed, GCash Sakto Loans serves as an entry-level loan for those who are not yet eligible to borrow larger amounts on the app but are in need of small amounts to supplement their budget.
 
With a processing fee as low as PHP 6.50, GCash users may borrow amounts as small as PHP 100 up to PHP 1000 at zero interest, which could be paid either after 14 or 30 days.
 
“Sakto Loans offer an added comprehensiveness to our already extensive product lineup. In instances where we only need a small amount to get by, this nano-loan feature will save us the time and energy of having to borrow from family and friends or even informal lenders,” Isidro emphasized.

 
Inclusivity through fair and easy loans
 
With its borrowing solutions, GCash hopes to level the playing field and provide equal opportunities for every Filipino. Its vision of bringing financial progress to everyone can be seen in the 85% of GCash users who come from C2DE or lower socio-economic classes, the 55% who are female, the 60% who come from the youth ages 19-35 years old and the 70% who are based outside Metro Manila.
 
While there is still a stigma when it comes to loans, GCash hopes to highlight that borrowing money is one way of bringing Filipinos closer to their goals.
 
"We're reimagining lending to ensure that it is not only hassle-free and convenient, but is also driven by the individual circumstances of our user base. By putting their stories at our core, we hope to break down barriers so that Filipinos can access the loans that they need to support financial progress,” Sazon added.
 
Users may access GGives, GLoan and GCredit through the GCash dashboard or find it under “Borrow.” No GCash yet? Download the GCash App on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, or Huawei App Gallery. Kaya mo, i-GCash mo!

GCash Stories Launches “Turing” for Pride Month, Empowering the LGBTQIA+ Entrepreneurs to #WerkWithPride by Offering Finance for All

 
Manila, Philippines – GCash Stories returns with a powerful new release featuring Turing Quinto, as the face of GCash’s “Werk With Pride” advocacy for Pride Month. Directed by Antoinette Jadaone, the film celebrates pride by putting a spotlight on GCash's commitment to inclusivity and financial empowerment while telling the story of the strength and persistence of Filipino drag performer, Turing.
 
Turing gained fame as a contestant on the debut season of Drag Race Philippines. The short film delves into Turing's aspirations and determination to succeed in life while showing the challenges faced by breadwinners striving to make ends meet.
 

Just like anyone else chasing a brighter future, Turing works with pride, thanks to GCash. She reassures her mother, “Ako nang bahala sa pag tambling, Ma," despite the struggles their family faces.
 
Overcoming tears, she performs in her living room, cheered on by her family and supported by GCash, enabling her to receive tips from fans all around the country.
 
“Sobrang proud ako sa film na ‘to, kasi it really showed how GCash was there during some of my most challenging times,” shares Turing. “Especially nung lockdown kasi virtual shows lang ang nagagawa naming drag performers kasi sarado lahat ng bars and clubs, ang laking tulong ng GCash para makatanggap kami ng tips in real time, and I got to continue doing
what I love the most.”
 
The premiere of Turing's GStories film took place at the GTalks: Werk With Pride event on June 22. GCash created GTalks as a space for meaningful discussions on topics that impact the everyday lives of Filipinos, such as providing access to financial services, diversity and inclusion, and climate action.

 
Sharing their own success stories with GCash, the Werk With Pride event also featured a panel discussion with LGBTQIA+ business owners and entrepreneurs Gabby Cantero, Butterboy founders Hilder Demeterio and Jayson So, and Chippy Day Abando & Nariese Giangan of Food for the Gays.
 
GCash: Enabling Dreams and Aspirations for All
Regardless of who you are or what you aspire to, GCash supports your dreams by providing accessible financial services – even beyond Pride Month. GCash remains an essential tool for Filipinos as they work to achieve financial independence.
 
GCash offers GLoan, instant cash loans for kickstarting your goals, and GInsure, a range of insurance products safeguarding the future of LGBTQIA+ individuals and their loved ones. Business owners can also enjoy seamless payment experiences with Scan-To-Pay, enabling easy QR code payments online and offline.
 
“We understand the needs of our customers and will continuously innovate to provide accessible financial services for Filipinos, regardless of gender, background, or preference,” says Neil Trinidad, Chief Marketing Officer of GCash. “Like Turing, there are many stories of hope that inspire us to continue to help uplift the lives of Filipinos.”
 
With GCash, you, too, can #WerkWithPride, just like Turing does with every performance, knowing she’s supported by a platform that leads Filipinos to a better tomorrow.
 
Watch Turing's inspiring story in the full "Turing" short film on YouTube. Share your own story of hope and progress using the hashtags #GCashStories and #MyGCashStory, and tag @gcashofficial.

 With 1M mangroves and trees planted

GCash, RAFI continue reforestation initiatives in Cebu

(PRESS RELEASE) Committed to supporting sustainable development and addressing climate change, the Philippines' leading mobile wallet GCash, together with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), are continuing their initiatives to increase forest coverage and enhance existing mangrove areas in Cebu.

 

Arianne Magtarayo, RAFI Client Engagement Officer; Patricia Manio, GForest Head

Through GCash's GForest and RAFI's One to Tree Program, a total of 1,075,000 mangroves and upland trees have been planted since 2021. For the remainder of 2023, 75,000 more mangroves will be planted, completing the target of 1,150,000 trees spread across three projects in the province.

The two GForests cover the Luyang Watershed in the northern town of Carmen. One project has 375 hectares of farmland in the barangays of Caurasan, Upper Natimao-an, Liboron, Ipil, Cantumog, and Lower Natimao-an. Meanwhile, the other consists of 355 hectares of farmland with planting sites in the barangays of Upper Natimao-an, Corte, Ipil, Caurasan, Hagnaya, Lanipga, and Cantumog.

 

Among the 600,000 native trees planted in the two GForests are Avocado, Bangkal, Cacao, Cashew, Coffee, Guyabano, Jackfruit, Mamalis, Mangosteen, Molave, Nangka, Narra and Rambutan with a high survivability rate between 92 to 94% as of March 2023.

 

The Luyang Watershed is a significant ecological area in Cebu as it supplies at least twenty-four thousand cubic meters of surface fresh water. The enhancement of tree cover in the two GForests will improve rainwater percolation.

 

As a result, this increases the water table under the horizon that supplies springs that support surface water along rivers. The neighboring urban cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu will benefit from this in terms of water supply.

 

The third project is GForest Mangroves which aims to plant 550,000 seedlings in Daanbantayan, San Remigio, and Medellin. The three municipalities are facing the Tañon Strait, the biggest marine protected area in the Philippines under the National Integrated Protected Areas System.

As of May 2023, about 47.5 hectares have been covered for enrichment planting with 475,000 seedlings of the Bakhaw Lalaki (Rhizopora apiculata), Bakhaw Babae (Rhizopora mucronata), Bakhaw Bato (Rhizopora stylosa), Bungalon (Aviccenia alba), Miapi (Aviccenia marina), Aviccenia officinallis, Aviccenia rumphiana, Pagatpat (Sonneratia alba), Pedada (Sonneratia caseolaris), and Sonneratia ovata species.

Aside from mitigating the risks of natural disasters and augmenting water supply, the partnership has also helped in the livelihood of local communities. GCash and RAFI have engaged 200 landowners, 687 individuals, and ten people’s organizations in the site preparation, tree-planting, and maintenance activities of the projects. 

"GCash is steadfast in playing an active role in minimizing the effects of climate change. Through GForest, we encourage Filipinos to take part in our eco-friendly initiatives and be Green Heroes. With partner organizations like RAFI, we continue to plant the seeds for a better tomorrow,” said CJ Alegre, GCash Head for Sustainability.

 

"This partnership with GCash allows us to reach more people and enable them to take part in caring for our environment even in simple ways. Through this partnershxqip people can build GForests one tree at a time, and also help in community-building and income augmentation of locals. This is a win for the environment and a win for Cebuanos," said Amaya Aboitiz-Fansler, RAFI President and Chief Executive Officer.

 

GForest is an in-app feature rolled out in 2019 in line with GCash’s sustainability agenda. Users earn green energy for cashless transactions done in the app such as paying bills, buying load, and sending money. Green energy is collected and used to plant virtual trees.

GCash partners with international and local organizations in planting actual trees around the country. At present, they have planted 2.2 million trees and aim to plant a total of 5 million trees by 2025.

For more information about GForest and other sustainability initiatives, visit www.gcash.com.ph

While Luzon and some cities in our country are under the Enhanced Home Quarantine due to nCov-19, there are Restaurants which are not open but offer door to door delivery to serve us and to satisfy our cravings. But as I mentioned in my previous article, it is BEST to do cashless transactions in shopping or most especially on online ordering because this small step will surely help flatten the curve. If you have e-wallet such as GCash, then you can simply use your GCash in your online order. A number of Restaurants are now accepting direct pay from GCash such as Shakeys, Max's Chicken, Pancake House, Krispy Kreme, Yellow Cab, Bench Cafe, to name a few. But if you are using a food delivery app, I recommend using FoodPanda as this mobile app accepts American Express Virtual Pay (GCash) as a credit card payment option upon checkout. Easy, right? And of course, when this is over – we can still use this cashless transaction with the GCash Scan-to-pay feature.

Throwback pic of Bench Cafe in BGC

Okay, let me give you a list of Restaurants and Cafes that will rescue us from our cravings. Most of them are available in Foodpanda which you can use your GCash for payment. Check this out! 

*** Bon Chon and Army Navy riders carry a QR Code with them for delivery as well.

FOOD DELIVERY NEAR YOU - MANILA

FOOD DELIVERY NEAR YOU - CEBU CITY

FOOD DELIVERY NEAR YOU - PASIG CITY

Don't forget to stay at home, be safe and of course, crave moderately! (Wink)

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases has incremented in the past few days. I hope you can share in flatting the curve by using cashless transactions while buying your food at supermarkets and in 7-Eleven branches. Stay safe!