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  • Philippine Central Bank Plans 50 Coin Deposit Machines by January 2027

    Philippine Central Bank Plans 50 Coin Deposit Machines by January 2027

    The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will deploy 50 coin deposit machines nationwide by January 2027, dividing the fleet equally between Metro Manila and provincial regions.

    Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat confirmed the timeline, noting that the central bank will place 25 machines outside the capital and return 25 units to Metro Manila to double the original fleet.

    SM Cebu is slated to receive the initial regional rollout, with subsequent sites planned across Mindanao following service provider delays that pushed the project back.

    Splitting the Fleet Outside the Capital

    Under the revised deployment plan, the central bank will place 25 automated deposit machines across regional hubs and return 25 units to Metro Manila shopping centres. The central bank originally intended to launch the hardware earlier, but service provider delays pushed the timeline back to early 2027.

    Shoppers use the self-service terminals to tip loose metal coins directly into counting funnels. The machines convert the counted change into digital credits deposited into GCash or Maya mobile wallets, GoTyme bank accounts, or retail shopping vouchers.

    SM Footprint Offsets Operational Costs

    The central bank is partnering with mall developer SM to house the incoming batch. SM will help absorb operational expenses and provide space in high-traffic retail properties across the country.

    Central bank management acknowledged the service remains costly to operate without commercial partners sharing the burden. Working with the country’s largest retail landlord gives the monetary authority prime corridor space while avoiding standalone lease overheads.

    For mall operators, hosting automated change counters turns dead foot traffic into digital balances spent on site. Shoppers holding shopping vouchers or topped-up digital wallets tend to spend those balances at nearby grocery tenants and food halls rather than carrying the currency home. The operational risk sits in hardware maintenance. Unsorted change jams deposit hoppers, and private service providers must clear bins and process logistics quickly to keep units online during peak weekend shopping hours.

    Recirculating Hoarded Metal

    The original pilot began in June 2023 with a cluster of terminals in the capital region. By March 2025, the pilot fleet had taken in P1.4 billion worth of loose coins from consumers.

    Central banks across Southeast Asia spend millions minting low-denomination coins that vanish from circulation into household jars and piggy banks. Turning idle metal into e-wallet balances reduces currency production orders while feeding transactions directly into digital payment networks.

    Provincial Rollout Targets

    Metro Manila properties will receive replacement units without dedicated opening events because urban foot traffic already understands how the terminals operate. The formal regional rollout begins in SM Cebu before technical teams evaluate prospective retail properties in Mindanao.

    SM and the central bank are now surveying provincial mall properties to fix machine allocations ahead of the January 2027 commissioning deadline.

  • Stricter Bank Underwriting Shifts Credit to Fintech Lenders

    Stricter Bank Underwriting Shifts Credit to Fintech Lenders

    Stricter bank approval standards are steering younger borrowers toward buy now, pay later (BNPL) services, microloans and digital lenders, according to a report from MoneyHero.

    Inflation-driven repayment concerns prompted banks to tighten underwriting and collections, AB Capital Securities noted in an October 2026 commentary. Meanwhile, fintech platforms are deploying alternative data to reach underserved customers.

    A July reopening of online lending licenses by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) could accelerate this migration as more digital competitors enter the market.

    Alternative Screening Fills Bank Deficit

    Digital finance providers rely on alternative data points, including e-commerce transactions and mobile wallet activity, to approve shoppers bypassed by established lenders. Traditional credit bureaus cover only a minority of the population, leaving retail merchants dependent on app-based checkout credit to maintain consumer ticket sizes.

    Smaller transaction sizes typical of buy now, pay later services protect initial loan performance. However, repeat checkout usage by debt-laden shoppers facing persistent inflation creates hidden credit concentrations across unregulated platforms.

    Licensing Reopening Accelerates Platform Entry

    Platform competition intensified after the Securities and Exchange Commission reopened online lending license applications in July. The end of the regulatory moratorium brings fresh capital into mobile instalment lending, multiplying financing options at online and physical retail checkouts.

    The expansion presents operational friction for merchants managing multiple checkout payment integrations. Retailers gaining top-line volume through digital loans risk margin erosion if platforms raise processing charges to cover rising portfolio delinquencies.

    Underwriting Quality Replaces Volume Growth

    Vehicle dealership loan approvals have slowed alongside stricter bank reviews, showing early stress in high-ticket consumer debt. That slowdown confirms that household balance sheets are weakening, even as point-of-sale microloans maintain high headline volume.

    Bank credit screening historically protected established institutions during inflation spikes, while pure-play consumer credit apps absorb higher credit loss rates. The current divergence tests whether algorithm-driven microloans can maintain repayment rates without conventional collateral or documented payroll income.

    The Timeline to Watch

    Consumer platform operators are positioning portfolios ahead of anticipated capital market deadlines. Digital finance operator Maya targets an initial public offering in 2027, making portfolio quality and loan book yields critical metrics for private investors over the coming quarters.

    The immediate metric to monitor will be early delinquency rates across fintech balance sheets through the next quarterly reporting round, which will show whether alternative underwriting can outlast prolonged consumer price pressures.

  • Cool Kids Fashion featuring 70 brands

    Cool Kids Fashion featuring 70 brands

    Today’s Chinese kids are increasingly being dressed to a fashion.

    “The demand for the children’s wear in China has shifted from fulfilling basic needs to pursuing fashion and style,” says marketing director Aber of Shenzhen Perseus Brand Management, an exhibitor at Cool Kids Fashion Shanghai this week.

    “Nowadays, Chinese kids want to look ‘cool’ and ‘chic’, so we have incorporated these elements into our products.”

    Differentiation by style, branding and marketing has become more important as demand rises, says Kidswant Children Products product centre director Pinky Lu. “Low prices are no longer effective in securing market share; conversely, the ability to suit personal taste differences is becoming more important.”

    More than 70 global fashion brands will be showcasing their latest product at the third edition of Cool Kids Fashion Shanghai, being held concurrently with CBME China from July 20 to 22.

    Fierce competition

    With fierce competition in the children’s fashion market in China, brands are constantly pushing out new products, says Baodaxiang Shopping for Kids Group procurement manager Yanjing Wang. “The new generation of consumers is more interested in style, brands and value for money.”

    Among the brands at Cool Kids Fashion will be B. Duck (Hong Kong), CCILU (Japan), Cocolico (France), Lab by Baby (Korea), Metro Kids Company (Portugal), Mim-Pi (Netherlands), Overkids (Italy), RIA (Spain), Shadez (Switzerland) and Tip Toey Joey (Brazil). The event will bring together distributors, department stores and property developers, franchisees and fashion buyers.

    There will also be events highlighting trends, creativity, innovation and talent.

    Trend forum speakers include WGSN creative director Zhang Yiling and H&M visual merchandising manager Raj.

    Twenty shortlisted aspiring designers out of 1035 contestants will have their designs and creations displayed at the Kids Design Contest Gallery, followed by a runway showcase.

    Brands featuring in the fashion shows include Angel’s Face (UK), BabyBol (Spain), Blaa (Finland), Maya (US), PennyScallan (Australia) and Teddy Doctor (China).

    Meanwhile, CBME China will showcase baby, child and maternity products. The two shows will cover 223,305 sqm, featuring 3673 brands from 2366 suppliers, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Shanghai.

    Design is one of the most important factors when parents buy children’s clothing, according to the UBM China Baby Products Market Consumer Research Report 2015.

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