In a push to close gaps in financial inclusion, Maya has partnered with SPARK! Philippines to empower women micro-entrepreneurs through both digital financial tools and community-based support.
The collaboration forms part of Maya’s flagship sustainability initiative on women’s financing, aligned with its broader push to improve financial health among underserved sectors.
Under the partnership, Maya will expand access to digital financial services—including payments, savings, and credit—while SPARK! Philippines will provide training, mentorship, advocacy, and community-based support. The initiative recognizes that enabling women-led businesses to thrive requires more than access to capital alone.
“This is a segment that is heavily driving economic activity but still remains underserved,” said Toff Rada, Head of Corporate Affairs at Maya. “Our focus is to support women-led micro businesses in ways that reflect how they actually operate—through tools that help them manage, grow, and sustain their income over time.”
For its part, Maica Teves, Executive Director of SPARK! Philippines, emphasized the importance of holistic support. “Women micro-entrepreneurs are already driving economic activity in their communities, but many still face barriers beyond access to financing. By working with Maya, we aim to bring training, mentorship, and community-based support closer to them.”
Women play a vital role in the country’s micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) sector, with studies showing that more than half of small businesses in the Philippines are owned or led by women. MSMEs account for 99.5% of all registered businesses, employ around 63% of the workforce, and contribute roughly 40% of the country’s economic output, based on data from the Department of Trade and Industry and the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Despite their significant contribution, women-led enterprises remain underserved. A 2023 study by the Asian Development Bank found that only about 28% of women-led MSMEs adopt digital financial services, compared to 44% of male-led businesses—highlighting persistent gaps in access to tools that support growth and financial resilience.
Maya’s own ecosystem underscores the opportunity to close these gaps. More than 90% of its nationwide Maya Centers are operated by women, many of whom run sari-sari stores and other neighborhood enterprises.
Through the Maya Business app, MSMEs can accept digital payments, manage transactions, and access financial services in a single platform—streamlining operations and improving cash flow. Eligible businesses may also tap short-term credit through Maya Advance to support working capital needs such as inventory restocking and daily expenses.
The partnership reflects Maya’s broader approach to financial inclusion—expanding access to financial tools while ensuring these are used effectively to help women entrepreneurs grow sustainable businesses and build more resilient livelihoods.