Traditional banking used to dominate the Philippine financial sector. Opening an account via mobile was inconceivable, high interest rates were a far-fetched dream, and long queues at bank branches were a grueling reality. When CIMB Bank set foot in the Philippines, it bravely took up the mantle to address these pain points.
Fast forward to today, only five years since it launched in the country, CIMB has not only become the harbinger of change in the banking industry but has also impacted millions of lives, empowering Filipinos to take charge of their finances and live their purpose. It was only fitting that the globally renowned business magazine, Forbes, recognized CIMB as the best bank in the Philippines in 2023.
Revolutionizing the Filipino banking experience
CIMB’s commitment to improving the Filipino banking experience has helped to dramatically decrease the number of unbanked individuals, from 51.2 million in 2018 to 34.3 million in 2022. Now nearing its fifth year of operations, CIMB is committed to expanding further into untapped and underserved markets and continuing to innovate in the digital banking space.
CIMB’s pioneering products, including deposit products GSave, UpSave, and Fast Plus, as well as loan products REVI Credit and Personal Loan, have revolutionized the banking experience for its over 7 million customers and 2.5 million loan customers. By offering convenient and secure digital banking solutions such as easy access through mobile banking, higher per annum interest rates, zero fees, and loan applications that can be done in as fast as 10 minutes, CIMB has effectively transformed the financial landscape of the Philippines.
It has also introduced the embedded banking model, as demonstrated in its partnerships with the likes of Gcash and Shopee. CIMB powers GCash’s GCredit, which gives customers a credit line and allows them to instantly pay for their online transactions at a later date; and Shopee’s SPayLater, a buy-now-pay-later product wherein qualified buyers have the option to convert their daily online purchases into affordable monthly fixed installment amounts.
“Our mission was clear from the outset,” said Vijay Manoharan, CEO of CIMB Bank PH. “We aimed to provide all Filipinos with accessible financial solutions so they could achieve their life goals. Today, we have made it possible to open a bank account on a mobile phone and to offer the highest deposit interest rates. We disrupted the norm, made banking free for customers, and removed all the friction in the system. But our journey is far from over.”
Despite its many accolades, including the prestigious Forbes Best Bank, CIMB is not resting on its laurels. It plans to extend its services to overseas Filipinos and the micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) sector, and explore new product offerings like digital insurance and remittance. It remains steadfast in its commitment to educating the public on the value of digital banking, an initiative that underscores its commitment to driving financial inclusion and access in the country.
Enabling Filipinos to live their purpose
CIMB also stands as a source of motivation for many individuals. For the Bank, it is not just about providing digital banking solutions but enabling people to live their life purpose.
The impact of CIMB’s efforts can be felt in the stories of financial coach Yani Moya, creator and host Ayn Bernos, and MindNation Chief Product and Data Officer Cat Triviño.
“The main reason why a lot of people end up broke even after working for so many years is because they don’t have clear and exciting financial goals that spark their life purpose. Ganyan din ako [I was likek that too] when I first started working. Wala din akong naipon [I did not have savings] after many years kasi hindi ako clear kung ano talaga ang pinag-iipunan ko [because I was not clear what I was saving for]. My mindset to save and maximize the high interest rate of CIMB allowed me to save up for my car and now that I have my car, I can fully live my life purpose of going to my coaching classes, face-to-face talks, or even going to meet clients,” shared Yani.
For Ayn, it was about the struggle of handling her finances despite working as a social media specialist, a host, and a writer, among other things. “I was always so anxious about checking my bank account kasi natatakot ako na baka wala na siyang laman [because I was afraid to see that it had no content]. This continued for the next few years until finally, I sat myself down. I told myself, okay girl, we are learning how to handle our finances. I’ll always trust my money with CIMB. Having this level of visibility over your finances is so helpful, and I know it would have saved me so much stress if meron na ako nito [I had this] from the start,” she narrated.
Cat, on the other hand, was looking for a stable partner when she took a leap of faith to follow more purposeful work after years in the corporate world.
She said: “A lot of meaningful life-changing decisions are difficult, but they don’t always have to be. I’m glad that throughout my journey, I’m supported by CIMB. Finding that stability that I needed to fuel my passion and purpose was far from a challenge as I move forward to finally pursuing my startup full-time.”
“I hope that in whatever passion or purpose you align yourself with, you act with intention and find the support like the support that CIMB Bank gives me,” she added.
You, too, can live your purpose
Like these inspiring stories of moving forward to find one’s purpose, CIMB is ready to help Filipinos take on lessons from the past while empowering them to shape their future.
CIMB’s trajectory over the past five years narrates how it boldly challenged the status quo and, in doing so, became a force for good. Its story is one of unwavering commitment, relentless innovation, and an unyielding desire to better the lives of millions. It’s not about being the best bank—it’s about being a beacon of hope for the people it serves.
Live life forward and #LiveYourPurpose with CIMB.
Learn more by visiting https://www.cimbbank.com.ph/
ADVT.