Maya, the country’s leading all-in-one fintech platform, and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) have deepened their partnership—this time by distributing exclusive Maya Visa prepaid cards to national athletes and coaches. The move comes as Team Philippines competes in the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand, sending the largest-ever national delegation to date.
With over 1,600 athletes, coaches, and officials expected to participate in the Games—the largest delegation the country has ever fielded—the Maya card rollout for athletes and coaches aims to ensure efficient, secure, and transparent financial support for the entire team.
The exclusive Maya Visa prepaid cards for athletes and coaches are being used to disburse allowances and incentives digitally, replacing manual disbursements. The cards also offer global utility, accepted at more than 130 million merchants and 1 million ATMs worldwide, giving athletes convenient access to funds whether they are competing abroad or traveling for training.
“Digital empowerment for athletes is part of PSC’s push toward modernization and ease of doing business,” said PSC Chairman John Patrick Gregorio. “By moving allowances to secure, digital channels, we reduce queues and paperwork, improve transparency, and help our athletes manage their finances more easily — especially when they’re representing the country internationally.”
The initiative is part of the continuing Championing the Pinoy Athlete program with Maya, which aims to modernize financial processes in Philippine sports and support the long-term financial wellness of athletes, coaches, and PSC staff. With Maya-linked accounts, athletes can receive funds on time, pay for purchases and bills, track transactions in real time, save, and access other financial tools, such as investments and responsible credit.
“This partnership is about giving our athletes modern financial tools that work as hard as they do,” said Shailesh Baidwan, Maya Group President and Maya Bank Co-Founder. “By digitizing allowance disbursements and giving them a globally accepted prepaid card, we’re making it easier for them to budget, save, and spend securely — whether they’re in Manila, Bangkok, or anywhere in between.”
Beyond convenience, the Maya Visa prepaid cards represent an important step in promoting financial health and inclusion among athletes and coaches. The digital disbursement system and in-app banking tools help athletes manage their finances better, reduce reliance on cash, and build healthy financial habits during competition or travel — a foundation for long-term financial stability even after their sporting careers.
Maya and PSC are working on additional integrations to support the broader sports community, including financial-wellness sessions for athletes, expanded use of cashless payments in training and competitions, and broader adoption of digital financial tools across Philippine sports governance.
