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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Banking & Finance devider OnePuhunan taps IFC to boost rural women entrepreneurs

OnePuhunan taps IFC to boost rural women entrepreneurs

Published Mar 13, 2026 02:57 pm

Homegrown microfinance institution CreditAccess Philippines Financing Co. Inc. (OnePuhunan) plans to ramp up affordable financing for small businesses run by women, especially in the countryside, after securing a loan from the World Bank Group’s (WBG) International Finance Corp. (IFC).

“We are happy to be working with IFC for the first time, as we expand to reach at least one million Filipinos by 2030. With this partnership, we aim to continuously improve our product offerings and services to better serve our clients, so they can focus on growing their businesses and supporting their families,” IFC quoted OnePuhunan president and chief executive officer (CEO) Daniele Rovere in a statement on Friday, March 13.

To recall, IFC, the WBG’s private-sector lending arm, approved up to $60 million in loan financing for OnePuhunan in February.

The transaction under IFC’s MSME Finance Platform includes a three-year senior loan to OnePuhunan consisting of an A loan of up to $20 million and up to $40 million in mobilized funds to be on-lent exclusively to women-owned and/or -led microenterprises in rural areas.

The global platform was launched in May 2024 with a $4-billion fund by IFC to expand financing for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through debt, guarantees, and risk-sharing facilities.

IFC said loan proceeds will be used exclusively to provide microloans to women-run microenterprises.

OnePuhunan, which operates nationwide across 16 regions with a strong rural presence, plans to expand its branch network and digital services while continuing to offer financing for working capital and business growth, and developing new products for women microentrepreneurs and their households, it added.

The lending firm was established in 2014 and currently operates over 300 branches nationwide, serving more than 600,000 clients with accessible financing products for small businesses underserved by traditional banks.

“MSMEs play a major role in creating jobs and boosting prosperity especially in underserved communities. By partnering with OnePuhunan, IFC is expanding access to finance for women entrepreneurs in rural Philippines—helping them grow businesses, create jobs, and build resilience where it is needed most,” said Amena Arief, IFC’s Philippines country manager.

IFC noted that MSMEs comprise 99.6 percent of registered businesses in the country, with microenterprises over 90 percent, generating two-thirds of total jobs and contributing roughly 36 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), bolstering household incomes and rural economic resilience.

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