Over 70,000 Filipinos working and residing in South Korea will soon gain easier access to financial services as Philippine-based ADVANCE.CBP has partnered with Korea Credit Bureau (KCB) to enable the use of Philippine credit data abroad.
Philippine, South Korean firms partner to share credit data for OFWs
By Derco Rosal
According to a statement released on Tuesday, June 3, the forged partnership is seen to establish an Application Programming Interface (API)-based credit information linkage system between the two countries.
“Under the agreement, over 70,000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) residing in Korea will be able to use their credit information from the Philippines to assist in opening bank accounts and accessing financial services in Korea,” the firm said.
“In the same spirit, Koreans who wish to use financial services in the Philippines will be able to leverage their Korean credit histories, fostering a seamless financial environment where citizens of both countries can conduct transactions more smoothly and securely,” it added.
ADVANCE.CBP, a special accessing entity, operates under the regulation of the state-run Credit Information Corporation (CIC).
Meanwhile, KCB is a South Korean private credit bureau licensed by the Financial Services Commission (FSC).
ADVANCE.CBP said the signing is a major move to strengthen cross-border “financial accessibility between Korea and the Philippines.” The event was witnessed by Ben Baltazar, president and CEO of CIC.
“Facilitating trusted credit information exchange between Korea and the Philippines opens new opportunities for our overseas workers and supports economic resilience in both countries,” Baltazar said.
Jong Sup Hwang, CEO and chairman of KCB, said the partnership serves as a crucial step towards an individual’s creditworthiness internationally.
“We are excited to support greater financial access for both Korean and Filipino citizens, while setting new standards for regional cooperation in credit innovation,” Hwang said.
“We are proud to collaborate with KCB to establish one of the first cross-border credit linkage systems between Korea and the Philippines. This partnership directly supports our mission to unlock greater financial inclusion for Filipinos abroad and Koreans in the Philippines, empowering them with trusted data to access the financial services they deserve,” said Michelle Anne Chan, country manager of ADVANCE.CBP and ADVANCE.AI Philippines.