As part of its program to accelerate financial inclusion nationwide, FINTQnologies Corp.’s (FINTQ) KasamaKA, through PLDT-Smart Foundation, has handed over P5 million donation to Robin Padilla’s Tindig Marawi movement.
KasamaKA advocates for financial inclusion in Mindanao covering displaced microentrepreneurs in Marawi City through Tindig Marawi. In photo (from left): Mindanao Peace Advocate and Actor Robin Padilla, BSP Governor Nestor Espenilla, Jr., FINTQ Managing Director and KasamaKA Founder and Lead Convenor Lito Villanueva
The amount, which will be managed by Liwanag ng Kapayapaan Foundation in partnership with local cooperatives in Mindanao, will serve as seed capital to pilot the country’s first digital halal microfinancing initially for 500 displaced microentrepreneurs in Marawi City. It covers half of the Php10 million that KasamaKA – FINTQ’s income and community builder program – intends to donate to kickstart the Tindig Marawi Livelihood Fund to rebuild businesses and economic activities in the aftermath of the terror attack in the city.
FINTQ is the financial technology arm of PLDT and Smart’s Voyager Innovations, the digital innovations company focused on developing emerging market platforms.
“We are one with the government in enabling our Muslim brothers to optimize their full potential. This collaboration with KasamaKA and Tindig Marawi is just an initial step to more capacity-building initiatives leveraging on mobile technology,” said Manuel V. Pangilinan, chairman of PLDT, Smart, Voyager Innovations and PLDT Smart Foundation.
The ceremonial handover for the donation was witnessed by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr. during a courtesy call made by Tindig Marawi and FINTQ officials. “This initiative is perfectly aligned with the BSP’s National Strategy for Financial Inclusion. We commend the people behind this movement in giving our fellow Muslim Filipinos the chance to again start their microeconomic activities in Marawi City. This will ultimately bring Mindanao to a digitally inclusive financial system,” said Espenilla.
Voyager Innovations and FINTQ president and CEO Orlando B. Vea reiterated the call for financial inclusion: “This collaboration is part of our initiatives to push for inclusive digital finance in critical areas. We hope to further reach more individuals as we aim to include 30 million Filipinos in the formal financial system by 2020 through our various platforms and solutions.”
“In KasamaKA, we believe that the story of financial inclusion is not complete without Mindanao. Our vision of being inclusive starts with our Muslim brothers and sisters. What makes this extra special is that it relives the spirit of ‘bayanihan’ and sense of community amongst our Maranaos in Marawi and the rest of our fellow Filipinos in Mindanao,” said Lito Villanueva, FINTQ Managing Director and KasamaKA Founder and Lead Convenor.
Liwanag ng Kapayapaan Foundation is a member of AMIN Foundation, an organization that advocates for financial inclusion for Muslim Filipinos. It aims to provide a culturally-sensitive and faith-based microfinance assistance, on top of rebuilding the livelihood of the survivors of the Marawi siege to bring back economic activity in the city.
KasamaKA is a grassroots-based, self-help, and digital-enabled social intervention and last mile solution to promote financial literacy and inclusive growth.
