Across Southeast Asia, digital financial services have expanded access to payments and credit, but significant gaps in financial health remain. Small businesses may accept digital payments yet struggle to secure financing, while households using e-wallets may still lack the savings needed to weather unexpected emergencies.
Bridging this gap requires moving beyond financial access towards solutions that help individuals and businesses manage their finances, build resilience and improve their long-term financial well-being.
In the Philippines, digital payments accounted for 64.7% of retail transactions by volume in 2025, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Yet its 2025 Consumer Finance and Inclusion Survey found that 63% of Filipino adults would find raising emergency funds very difficult or impossible. Limited credit histories, irregular incomes and uneven connectivity remain barriers, especially in rural communities.
Helping Shape Responsible Digital Lending Across ASEAN
Tala, an AI-native credit infrastructure company, is participating as a Financial Health Champion in the ASEAN Financial Health Challenge, co-organized by the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN) and BSP. The regional initiative connects regulators and fintech innovators to develop practical, scalable solutions that strengthen financial health across the region.
With the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health (UNSGSA) as Thematic Thought Partner, the Challenge adopts a virtual hackathon and business bootcamp focused on responsible credit choices, emergency savings, and insurance. Participants benefit from one-on-one mentorship by experts from fintech innovators and opportunities to develop and refine their solution, with the top three winning teams to present their solutions at the Singapore FinTech Festival from November 18 to 20, 2026.
“Partnering with GFTN is a natural extension of our mission at Tala, which is to unleash the economic power of the global majority. Together, we’re backing the innovators building more inclusive, more dignified financial systems across the world,” said Shivani Siroya, Chief Executive Officer of Tala.
As a Financial Health Champion, Tala contributed problem statements, mentorship and potential pilot opportunities, drawing on its experience serving underserved borrowers.
“The ASEAN Financial Health Challenge is about bringing together the right expertise to turn promising ideas into practical solutions that improve people’s financial well-being. Industry partners like Tala play an important role by sharing real-world insights, mentoring innovators and helping create pathways for solutions to be tested and scaled. By combining innovation with industry experience, we hope to accelerate solutions that help individuals and businesses across ASEAN build greater financial resilience,” said Sopnendu Mohanty, Group CEO, Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN).
Tala has distributed more than $9 billion in capital to over 14 million customers across Africa, Latin America and Asia. Its risk intelligence uses alternative, behavioral and conventional data to assess borrowers whom traditional credit scores may overlook. Records from more than 50 million applicants, including those declined, offer insights for discussions on responsible AI underwriting and consumer protection.
Making Credit Choice Part Of Better Financial Health
Better access matters most when it helps customers manage money after borrowing. Tala’s 2024 Financial Health Score Survey indicated stronger financial well-being among experienced customers in the Philippines, reinforcing the importance of outcomes beyond loan approval.
Tala’s approach covers four areas: managing daily expenses, handling emergencies, pursuing future goals and feeling in control of finances. Grow with Tala helps eligible customers understand their credit progress and potential limit increases, while TALAkayan workshops and videos offer guidance on budgeting, saving and borrowing responsibly. Tala’s Debt with Dignity advocacy promotes clear terms and respectful collections, including when customers struggle to repay.
From these experiences, Tala provides Financial Health Challenge teams practical examples of how lending, financial education and consumer protection can work together. Combined with GFTN’s connections to regulators and innovators, these examples can help shape solutions suited to different ASEAN markets.
The Challenge aims to move promising innovations beyond proof of concept towards testing, piloting and potential implementation, helping individuals and businesses better manage their finances, withstand unexpected shocks and pursue opportunities with greater confidence.