Urgent Call for Trust and Security: How Inclusive Lending and Cybersecurity Are Shaping the Philippines’ Financial Future

At the Manila Tech Summit 2025, the conversation around financial technology went beyond innovation it focused on building a future rooted in inclusion and digital trust. With leaders from GCash, Fuse Financing Inc., government agencies, and industry regulators, the event underscored two intertwined priorities for the Philippines: widening access to fair lending and strengthening cybersecurity to protect millions of Filipinos navigating the digital economy.

For millions of unbanked or underbanked Filipinos, access to fair and affordable credit can be life-changing. Fuse Financing CEO Tony Isidro emphasized that 90% of their customers previously relied on informal lenders, often subject to abusive interest rates and unfair repayment practices. By leveraging alternative credit scoring like GScore, GCash and Fuse Financing are extending opportunities to 9.5 million Filipinos who can now pay tuition, buy a laptop for school, or launch a small business. “Borrowing should be an enabler rather than a burden,” Isidro stressed, framing lending as a path to dignity and progress.

But as lending moves online, trust becomes the foundation. GCash Chief Information Security Officer Miguel Geronilla highlighted how the company’s sophisticated fraud management system works in real-time to detect and mitigate risks before they harm users. This proactive approach mirrors the country’s larger push through frameworks like the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA), which sets new standards for consumer protection and industry-wide safeguards.

The summit also revealed the depth of the Philippines’ credit gap. More than half of adult borrowers still rely on informal lenders, and closing that gap will take more than one company or platform it will require partnerships across fintechs, banks, regulators, and cybersecurity leaders. Collaboration ensures that innovation and protection evolve together, creating a more resilient financial ecosystem that benefits every Filipino.

Directpath Global Technologies (DGT) aligns with this vision. As a Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP), DGT delivers solutions like Mobile Threat Defense (MTD), Extended Detection and Response (XDR), Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT), SOC2 compliance, Vulnerability Risk Management as a Service (VRMaaS), Web Application Firewall (WAF), and virtual CISO advisory. With an advanced Artificial Intelligence Division, DGT helps tailor cybersecurity and operational strategies for organizations empowering them to protect customer data and earn long-term trust.

The Manila Tech Summit 2025 showed that the future of finance is not just about access, but about assurance. When financial inclusion and cybersecurity move hand in hand, every digital step forward becomes more secure, more empowering, and more sustainable. In an era where trust is the ultimate currency, combining inclusive lending with robust digital protection is how the Philippines can build a stronger and more confident financial future for all. Source: Manila Bulletin