Manila, Philippines – November 10, 2025 — Global payments leader Visa has teamed up with M2P Fintech and CTBC Bank (Philippines) Corp. to roll out a new debit card issuing program aimed at helping rural and thrift banks go digital — a significant step toward advancing financial inclusion across the country.
Bringing Digital Banking to the Countryside
This new program gives rural banks the ability to issue both physical and digital Visa debit cards, something previously limited to larger commercial banks. By combining Visa’s trusted global payments network, M2P Fintech’s technology infrastructure, and CTBC Bank’s banking license, the partnership removes many of the logistical and cost barriers that smaller banks face when modernizing.
The “issuance-in-a-box” framework means that rural and cooperative banks can now access a ready-made, secure platform to offer digital payment services — without having to build complex systems from scratch.
Supporting 30 Million Filipinos in the Rural Banking Network
Based on data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), there are over 24.2 million deposit account holders in rural and cooperative banks, and another 9.7 million in thrift banks nationwide. Despite their size, these institutions play a vital role in the countryside economy, with 17% of their total loans going to agriculture — the highest share among all bank types in the Philippines.
With Visa’s new program, these banks can strengthen digital access for millions of underserved Filipinos, while supporting local sectors like farming and MSMEs.
Secure, Seamless, and Smart Banking
Enrolled rural banks will gain access to Visa’s risk and identity management tools such as Visa Advanced Authorization (VAA) and Visa Risk Manager (VRM) — systems designed to detect and prevent fraud in real time. They’ll also benefit from Visa Resolve Online (VROL), a dispute-resolution tool that streamlines the processing and resolution of transaction disputes.
For everyday Filipinos, this translates to safer, faster, and more transparent banking experiences, helping build trust in digital transactions and encouraging more people to join the formal financial system.
Industry Leaders Speak on Financial Inclusion
“With this collaboration, we advance Visa’s long-standing commitment to financial inclusion and innovation in payments for the country’s rural and thrift banking sector,” said Jeffrey Navarro, Visa Philippines Country Manager. “Together with M2P Fintech and CTBC Bank, we’re extending Visa’s trusted network to empower more Filipinos to participate in the digital economy.”
“Our focus has always been enabling the digital transformation of banks and fintechs,” added Madhusudanan R, Co-founder of M2P Fintech. “This partnership lets us help rural banks improve efficiency and better serve their customers.”
Luis S. Elizaga, President and CEO of CTBC Bank (Philippines), noted, “We’re proud to support this collaboration to digitize rural banks — an important segment that serves agriculture and MSMEs. We look forward to onboarding more banks and helping build a digitally empowered countryside.”
