Citi Philippines and the German development finance institution Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (DEG) have arranged a P1.5-billion co-financing facility for OnePuhunan, formally CreditAccess Philippines Financing Company, Inc., to support the expansion of its microfinance portfolio.

In a statement issued Monday, Citi said it will directly provide more than P300 million in financing and served as coordinator for the transaction, mobilizing over P1.2 billion in additional funding from DEG, a member of the KfW Group.

According to Citi, the transaction represents DEG's first debt financing in the financial inclusion sector in the Philippines.

"This co-financing demonstrates how global financial institutions like Citi and DEG working together, can have meaningful impact on the lives of women entrepreneurs, empowering them to succeed in business and enabling progress in their community. This is in line with Citi's mission to help build more sustainable and economically vibrant communities," said Citi Global Head of Social Finance Jorge Rubio Nava.

Citi said the loan proceeds will be used to expand OnePuhunan's microfinance portfolio and broaden access to financing for Filipino women entrepreneurs.

"We are grateful for the trust of Citi and DEG. This opportunity will support our efforts to expand our reach across the Philippines and accelerate the digitalization of our operations and offerings. Through this, we aim to serve more Filipinos with accessible financial solutions that create meaningful and lasting value in their lives," said OnePuhunan President and Chief Executive Officer Daniele Rovere.

OnePuhunan provides financing to underserved micro-entrepreneurs across the Philippines. As of 2025, the company had a gross loan portfolio exceeding P10 billion and operated 315 branches across 16 regions, serving more than 600,000 borrowers, Citi said. OnePuhunan is part of CreditAccess Group, a microfinance and small enterprise lending operator with operations across Asia.

The financing also marks Citi's first social finance partnership with DEG in the Philippines and the two institutions' third co-financing collaboration globally, Citi noted.

Citi said the transaction supports broader efforts to expand financial inclusion and improve access to financing for underserved communities. Microfinance has long served as a key channel for financial inclusion in the Philippines, where a significant share of micro, small, and medium enterprises remain unbanked or underserved by traditional lenders, making partnerships between commercial banks and development finance institutions a common mechanism for channeling capital to this segment.

"At DEG, we are proud to join forces with Citi and OnePuhunan to unlock new opportunities for underserved entrepreneurs and drive meaningful change for women across the Philippines. By improving access to finance, we want to empower women to expand their businesses, increase household incomes, and build stronger futures for their families and communities. Together, we are helping to advance financial inclusion and create sustainable impact where it matters most," said DEG Director for Financial Institutions Debt Asia/EMECA Juliane Loch. — Aaron Michael C. Sy