Financial Inclusion for Women? Asialink Just Got the Memo

Asialink Finance Corporation marked its 28th anniversary by unveiling the WAIS Loan, a new financial product laughably pitched as a revolutionary step toward inclusive lending for women.

The WAIS Loan—short for Women’s Access to Inclusive Support—is designed to bridge the financing gap faced by women-led MSMEs, which, despite representing 66% of businesses, somehow only get 4% of formal financing.

The company claims the product will offer up to ₱20 million in funding with rates starting at 0.99% and flexible terms of up to 36 months, all without the usual red tape and post-dated check drama.

Eligibility spans women business owners across different structures—sole proprietors, partnerships, and corporations—as if financial inclusion should still be up for debate in 2025.

The launch comes on the heels of Asialink securing $245 million in international funding from institutions like ADB and IFC, because apparently it takes foreign money to recognize local inequality.

In 2024, Asialink disbursed ₱15.5 billion in loans, with 77% funneled toward MSMEs, a growing share of which now includes supposedly “inclusive” products like WAIS.

With over 250 branches and new expansions in Visayas and Mindanao, Asialink continues its quest to hand out capital while acting shocked that women-run businesses exist outside of spreadsheets.

WAIS is Asialink’s big promise that the future of lending is smart, inclusive, and—wait for it—28 years late.