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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Banking & Finance devider $60-million IFC loan for OnePuhunan to empower women entrepreneurs in rural Philippines

$60-million IFC loan for OnePuhunan to empower women entrepreneurs in rural Philippines

Published Dec 26, 2025 11:03 am
International Finance Corp. (IFC), the private-sector lending arm of the World Bank Group (WBG), will provide up to $60 million (around ₱3.53 billion) in financing to CreditAccess Philippines Financing Co. Inc., or OnePuhunan (1P), to support women-owned and -led microenterprises in rural Philippines.
In a Dec. 24 disclosure seen by Manila Bulletin, IFC said the proposed investment is a United States (US) dollar-denominated, three-year senior loan, consisting of an A loan of up to $20 million and up to $40 million in mobilized financing through a B1 and/or parallel loan.
IFC’s Washington-based board is scheduled to approve this investment on Jan. 30, 2026.
Founded in 2014, 1P is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a financing company and is owned by CreditAccess SEA B.V., a holding firm with operations in the Philippines and Indonesia.
As of 2025, 1P serves over 600,000 clients through more than 300 branches nationwide, with IFC noting that proceeds from the proposed investment will target rural areas in the country.
IFC highlighted that the project will expand financial access for women-led micro-entrepreneurs in rural areas, with proceeds “exclusively” used for lending to women-owned and -led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in underserved regions.
“IFC will mobilize both domestic and international investors and thereby enable the company to diversify its funding base and access additional sources for its growth,” it said, adding that the program also aims to help 1P strengthen responsible lending practices and create a fully digitalized roadmap for its credit operations.
Under the program, the senior loan will provide microloans to MSMEs and individual borrowers across sectors such as trade, services, agriculture, and farming.
Meanwhile, a separate Dec. 24 disclosure showed that the IFC board approved its investment in Allianz Asia-Pacific Infrastructure Credit Fund on Dec. 23.
Manila Bulletin reported earlier that Allianz Global Investors (AGI), the asset management arm of global insurance and financial services giant Allianz, is set to launch Allianz Asia-Pacific Infrastructure Credit Fund, targeting up to $500 million to finance mid-sized infrastructure projects in emerging Asia, including the Philippines.
IFC is investing up to $60 million in the fund, which will focus on senior secured loans, with up to 40 percent allocated to climate finance and sustainable infrastructure. The fund aims to support projects in digital, energy, environmental, logistics, renewable energy (RE), and transportation sectors, enhancing private credit access and boosting renewable energy supply while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
This marks AGI’s first infrastructure-focused strategy in Asian emerging markets and is expected to strengthen the mid-market infrastructure finance sector.
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