Despite the Philippines being home to some of the most dynamic entrepreneurs in Southeast Asia, too many Filipina business owners continue to face barriers when seeking capital to grow.
To address this gap, the Australian Government, through Australian Development Investments (ADI), has extended a USD 3 million (₱172 million) impact loan to ARQ SME Finance, a women-led lender dedicated to empowering small and medium enterprises.
The announcement was made by Australian Ambassador to the Philippines, Marc Innes-Brown PSM, at the 2X Global Summit in Manila, the world’s leading forum on gender-focused impact investment, which gathered over 100 leaders from government, finance, and philanthropy.
“The Philippines is home to extraordinary Filipina entrepreneurs—but many face barriers when they seek funds to grow their businesses,” said Ambassador Innes-Brown. “Australia is proud to partner with ARQ to help create more business opportunities for women and build economic growth that benefits women and men alike.”
This marks ADI’s first-ever impact investment in the Philippines, reinforcing Australia’s commitment to inclusive growth and gender equality. ADI is the Australian Government’s flagship impact investment fund, designed to mobilize both public and private capital to tackle poverty and inequality across the Indo-Pacific.
The loan also complements Australia’s Investing in Women initiative, which continues to expand opportunities for women to join the workforce or scale their own enterprises across the region.
For its part, ARQ SME Finance serves the “missing middle” — businesses too large for microfinance but too small for traditional banks. The new investment will increase the pool of capital available to Philippine SMEs that are committed to gender equality in leadership, workforce development, supply chains, and human resource management.
“This investment is a catalyst for resilient, inclusive SME growth,” said Abigail Tan, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, ARQ SME Finance. “It enables ARQ to scale support for Philippine enterprises that embed gender equality, financial governance, and sound business practices—driving long-term opportunity across communities.”
With this milestone initiative, Australia positions itself as a strong partner in advancing the Philippines’ women-led business sector, strengthening both economic resilience and inclusive growth.