The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Digital bank Maya has unveiled Paleng-Kita, a new lending initiative aimed at providing market vendors and public transport drivers with easier access to credit through digital transactions.
Announced Friday, the program allows micro-entrepreneurs to tap into collateral-free credit by consistently using QR Ph and the Maya app for their daily payment needs. By linking cashless transactions with loan eligibility, Paleng-Kita opens new financial pathways for underserved sectors.
“Many small vendors and transport drivers have never had access to formal credit,” Maya Group president and co-founder Shailesh Baidwan said. “By using their cashless payment history, we can offer them fair, transparent credit and help them build a stronger financial future.”
The initiative builds on the ongoing Paleng-QR Ph program, spearheaded by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), in collaboration with local government units and financial service providers. The program promotes the adoption of QR Ph, the national interoperable QR code standard, among public market vendors and transport operators.
Through the Maya app, merchants can register for QR Ph and begin building a digital transaction history. This data feeds into Maya Advance, the lending feature that powers Paleng-Kita. Credit evaluations are handled through Maya’s AI-powered scoring system, which assesses a borrower’s payment behavior and alternative data points—eliminating the need for collateral, paperwork, or traditional credit scores.
Qualified users may access starting credit lines of P3,000 via Maya Advance.
“Market vendors and transport cooperatives are vital to our local economies. They deserve financial solutions that are simple, fair, and designed around how they live and work. Digital transactions, including QR Ph, provide a credible, scalable way to extend credit responsibly,” Baidwan added.The launch of Paleng-Kita is part of Maya’s broader push to expand financial inclusion through digital innovation and support the transition of informal earners into the formal banking system.