Maya unveils financing for vendors, drivers

PLDT digital bank unit Maya is taking the next step in supporting micro and small business owners by launching Paleng-Kita — a new credit program designed for market vendors and public transport drivers.

Built on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-led Paleng-QR Ph initiative, Paleng-Kita enables micro-entrepreneurs to access collateral-free credit by regularly using QR Ph and the Maya app for their daily transactions.

This innovation links digital payments to responsible credit access, giving small businesses the financial tools to grow.

“Many small vendors and transport drivers have never had access to formal credit,” Shailesh Baidwan, Maya Group president and Maya Bank co-founder, said. “By using their cashless payment history, we can offer them fair, transparent credit and help them build a stronger financial future.”

Cashless service, now into credit

Under Paleng-QR Ph, the BSP, the DILG, local governments and financial service providers work to onboard market vendors and drivers onto QR Ph, the national interoperable QR standard for person-to-merchant payments.

Registering for Maya QR allows merchants to build the transaction history required to qualify for Paleng-Kita through Maya Advance. Credit decisions are powered by Maya’s proprietary AI-driven scoring system, which evaluates payment transactions and other alternative data points without relying on collateral, paperwork, or traditional credit histories.

Approved borrowers can access credit lines starting at P3,000 through the Maya Advance product. The process is fast, fully digital, and designed to be accessible for everyday entrepreneurs.

Credit for underserved

According to the Department of Trade and Industry, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises make up 99 percent of all businesses in the Philippines. Yet, only about 4 percent of bank loans are allocated to this sector, underscoring the persistent barriers to credit access.

Maya’s Paleng-Kita aims to change that by allowing small entrepreneurs to prove their creditworthiness through their actual business activity.