The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) have forged a strategic partnership, formalized via a Memorandum of Understanding on July 20, 2026, at the LANDBANK Plaza in Manila, to revolutionize MSME financing through artificial intelligence. Led by LANDBANK President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz and DICT Secretary Henry Rhoel R. Aguda, the collaboration aims to slash bureaucratic red tape and accelerate credit assessments by integrating the ASEAN MSME AI Tech Stack into the bank’s lending services.
The initiative introduces a mobile-first, multilingual digital platform available in Filipino, English, and major regional languages that equips entrepreneurs with practical tools for business planning, pricing, regulatory compliance, contract review, and capital access. Under the agreement, the DICT will supply the necessary AI platforms, technical training, and datasets, while LANDBANK will provide financing use cases, pilot-testing support, and strict cybersecurity measures to protect user data.
Complementing LANDBANK’s existing LIFTING MSMEs Lending Program and previous digital integrations like eGovPay, this AI-driven collaboration directly supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s UPLIFT framework. By making funding faster, more accessible, and fully secure, the partnership empowers Filipino micro, small, and medium enterprises—the backbone of the economy—to spend less time on paperwork, scale their operations effectively, and generate localized jobs.