Financial technology is playing an increasingly important role in making financing more accessible to small businesses, opening up opportunities for entrepreneurs to secure funding for daily operations and business expansion. By widening access to capital, fintech can help accelerate the growth of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which continue to serve as a vital pillar of the Philippine economy.
This was the message shared by Fuse Financing, Inc. President and CEO Tony Isidro during the ASEAN MSME Summit 2026, where he highlighted the untapped potential of micro and small entrepreneurs, including sari-sari store owners and independent merchants, to grow with access to the right financial support.
“Just because a business, particularly a micro-entrepreneur, is invisible in a formal business, it doesn’t mean that they’re not credible,” Isidro said.
For years, micro and small enterprises have faced challenges in securing traditional financing, often because of stringent collateral requirements and limited or nonexistent credit histories. However, emerging digital financial solutions are helping address these barriers by broadening access to fair and legitimate financing, alongside business tools that allow smaller enterprises to grow and operate more sustainably.
For Fuse Financing, expanding financing opportunities means recognizing the potential of entrepreneurs who may have little or no experience dealing with traditional financial institutions. Access to legitimate funding can help these businesses acquire equipment, replenish inventory, improve operations, manage working capital, and pursue further expansion.
Digital platforms are making financial services more accessible by allowing MSMEs to handle various business transactions within an ecosystem they already use in their daily operations. Through GCash, merchants can accept customer payments, settle payments with suppliers and other merchants, and access a wider range of financial and business services.
These digital transactions can also generate valuable information that helps financial institutions assess borrowers and make more informed credit decisions. Transaction data provides lenders with a more up-to-date picture of a merchant’s business activities, complementing information found in conventional financial records. However, access to loans and financing remains subject to credit assessment and eligibility requirements.
Isidro explained how the digital ecosystem of GCash gives financial service providers a broader and more dynamic understanding of merchants and their business activities.
“[Digital transactions] are more powerful versus the traditional financial statement, which would be static, whereas their behavior within the GCash ecosystem is more dynamic and can be observed over time. So you get a glimpse of each merchant’s flow of cash, which enables us to have a good footprint, or a good [view] of the capability of each merchant,” he said.
During a panel discussion at the summit, Isidro emphasized how digital transaction histories can help financial service providers better understand the financial needs and business activities of MSMEs. By observing how merchants use digital financial services in their everyday operations, providers can gain meaningful insights that enable them to develop more relevant solutions and better support the growth of small businesses.
Isidro also encouraged merchants to consistently use GCash for their regular business transactions to gradually establish and strengthen their digital financial footprint.
“Whether it’s accepting payment from your customers, or paying other merchants, paying your suppliers in the GCash app, we encourage merchants to continue using the app for their financial operations,” he said.
As ASEAN’s digital economy continues to expand, fintech is poised to play a greater role in bringing more MSMEs into the formal financial system through wider access to financial services and financing opportunities. For small business owners, having access to appropriate funding can make a significant difference in strengthening daily operations, improving business capabilities, and unlocking opportunities for long-term growth.
For more information, visit www.gcash.com.
