To confront these challenges, CIBI Information Inc., the country’s first and only local credit bureau, hosted its inaugural CIBI Impact 2025 summit, gathering more than 150 regulators, executives, fintech leaders, and decision-makers.
The clear takeaway: trusted data and collaboration are the twin pillars for sustainable growth in Philippine credit.
Rising demand, shifting behavior
Filipinos are engaging with credit like never before.
Nicholas Mapa, chief economist at Metrobank, highlighted a surge in demand for financing.
Harley Chan, CIBI’s chief analytics officer, said tradelines are growing rapidly, with Pay Later/Buy Now Pay Later (PL/BNPL) products outpacing mortgages, auto financing, and credit cards.
This trend is powered by fintech digitization, regulatory reforms under the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), and improved compliance in credit data submissions to the Credit Information Corporation (CIC).
On the consumer side, credit report usage is booming. CIC president and CEO Atty. Ben Baltazar reported that Filipinos had accessed more than 10 million credit reports by mid-2025, with activity expected to rise further alongside lending.
The trust gap
But momentum is being slowed by a widening trust gap.
JurisTech CEO See Wai Hun underscored that while 49 percent of Filipinos remain unbanked, only 1 percent of their loan applications are approved due to lack of sufficient credit data.
High delinquency rates and fraud — costing billions annually — continue to shake institutional confidence.
Misinformation, fragmented records, and inconsistent reporting weaken transparency. The result: lenders hesitate, borrowers are excluded, and the cycle of financial exclusion persists.
Why trusted data matters
CIBI leaders argued that progress hinges on trusted, accurate data.
Ivy Ramirez, CIBI VP for service & industrials, explained that reliable data allows firms to make decisions 30 percent faster, boost efficiency by 25 percent, and increase profitability by 19 percent.
Transparency, she added, reduces risk, strengthens relationships, and shortens time to revenue by 63 percent.
By contrast, misleading or fragmented data compromises confidence, fuels defaults, and erodes partnerships.
“Trusted data is no longer an operational tool,” Ramirez said. “It is the foundation of financial inclusion.”
The role of collaboration
Speakers stressed that no single entity can solve systemic barriers alone.
At the summit, partners including FICO, JurisTech, and FinScore showcased how ecosystem-driven strategies can improve trust, expand credit visibility, and reach underserved borrowers.
The consensus: policy alignment, shared accountability, and innovative fintech-led solutions are essential to extending services to millions of excluded Filipinos.
Looking ahead
In her closing remarks, CIBI president and CEO Pia Arellano reaffirmed the bureau’s role as a catalyst for trust and inclusion. She unveiled upcoming initiatives such as a Fraud Bureau and the CIBI Advanced Tier platform — designed to reinforce compliance, improve transparency, and restore confidence in the system.
“As the world becomes more digital and more connected, the need for reliable, responsible, real-time data becomes greater than ever,” she said. “Our mission is to innovate and collaborate so that trust in data keeps pace with demand — because only then can we build a future where no Filipino is left behind.” —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
