Visa and CIBI Forge Strategic Alliance to Boost Financial Inclusion in the Philippines

MAKATI CITY – Visa (NYSE: V), a global leader in digital payments, and CIBI Information, Inc. (CIBI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly explore and pilot innovative, data-driven credit solutions aimed at expanding responsible access to credit for underserved Filipinos, particularly “thin-file” consumers.

Through this exclusive partnership, Visa brings its global payments technology and Credit Lab expertise together with CIBI’s position as the country’s pioneering credit bureau.

Credit Lab is Visa’s end-to-end solution, combining fraud detection management with alternative data enrichment (using telco, utilities, device, and other behavioral consumer data) to aid clients in credit decisioning.

While many Filipinos—including gig workers, BPO employees, and OFWs—remain underserved due to limited credit histories, the partnership also addresses a growing need among banks, digital lenders, and issuers to expand acquisition responsibly and manage risk with deeper intelligence.

Unlocking New Advantages for Philippine Financial Institutions

Visa and CIBI will jointly develop solutions that enable B2B partners to:

1. Expand Credit Acquisition for Issuers: Enhanced data and models help issuers confidently approve responsible credit for thin-file consumers.
2. Improve SME Risk Assessment: Lenders gain clearer visibility into SME borrowers, enabling more accurate and scalable lending decisions.
3. Access Data-Driven Industry Insights for Portfolio Growth: Deeper market intelligence helps institutions identify new segments, spot growth opportunities, and refine credit strategies.

These outcomes reinforce the shared vision of Visa and CIBI: to strengthen the financial ecosystem through analytics-driven innovation and trusted data, while empowering institutions to grow responsibly.

A Partnership Rooted in Inclusion, Innovation, and Trust

“Credit scoring has long been a key gap in our industry, with many Filipinos remaining ‘thin-file’ despite their active participation in the economy,” said Jeffrey Navarro, Country Manager of Visa Philippines.

“Through this partnership, we look forward to complementing Visa’s Credit Lab with CIBI’s leadership as a credit bureau to innovate solutions that expand access to credit and set new industry benchmarks. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to inclusive growth and strengthening the digital economy.”

For CIBI, the partnership reinforces its role as a nation-building partner through trusted data, with a continued focus on empowering individuals and small businesses through responsible credit and financial literacy.

“At CIBI, we believe that trusted data has the power to unlock opportunity,” said Pia Arellano, CIBI President and CEO.

“This partnership with Visa is deeply aligned with our purpose of building a more inclusive, transparent, and trusted financial ecosystem through data. When individuals and small businesses gain responsible access to credit, they gain the power to grow, to recover, and to contribute more meaningfully to the economy,” she added.

“Access to credit must also come with empowerment,” she added.

“Today, we do not simply sign an agreement—we affirm our shared responsibility to use data wisely, to enable inclusion, and to build a stronger financial future for the Philippines.”

 

What to Look Forward To

Over the next 12 months, Visa and CIBI will explore new credit use cases, develop industry insights on emerging credit behaviors, and support financial literacy initiatives nationwide.

“Our success will ultimately be measured by how many Filipinos we are able to include—securely, responsibly, and sustainably,” Arellano added.

Both organizations expressed strong optimism about the partnership’s impact.

“We look forward to the impact this collaboration will bring over the next 12 months—and beyond,” Navarro said.

The Visa–CIBI partnership reflects a shared commitment to inclusive growth, innovation, and trust in data, positioning both organizations at the forefront of advancing responsible credit access in the Philippines.