• CHERYL G. CRUZ
More than 500 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from towns and cities of Negros Occidental gained direct access to financing and business support to expand their operations and scale up their businesses.
This as Landbank kicked-off its first regional rollout of the Lifting MSMEs lending program, through the “Padayon” MSME Fair at Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City Feb. 20.
Participating entrepreneurs gained direct access to financing, digital banking solutions, and on-the-spot consultations with bank officers, who helped them start loan applications and open business accounts during the fair.
“The initiative brought banking services closer to MSMEs, reduced barriers to financial access, and accelerated business onboarding,” the bank said in a statement.
Tesda director-general Jose Francisco Benitez, who was guest of honor at the fair, said that with Landbank’s support, “we will continue to do everything we can to capacitate MSMEs and make it easier and more efficient for them to access services, grow their businesses, and sustain their operations.”
“Our goal is to help communities progress and move forward together,” he stressed.
Launched nationwide in December 2025, the Lifting (Landbank’s Innovative Financing Thrust Towards Inclusive National Growth) MSMEs lending program expands access to credit for working capital, equipment acquisition, and business expansion, and helps strengthen MSME productivity and competitiveness.
“MSMEs are more than participants in our economy, they are the backbone of our communities and a powerful driver of transformative growth,” the bank’s president and CEO, Lynette Ortiz, said at the fair. “When MSMEs grow, growth becomes inclusive. When MSMEs succeed, more Filipino families move forward.” | CGC
