Citi, DEG arrange $24M loan for Philippine microlender OnePuhunan
What's the deal? CitiDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and German development finance institution Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (DEG)Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → have arranged a P1.5-billion (about $24 million) co-financing facility for OnePuhunanDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, or CreditAccess Philippines Financing Company, Inc.Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → The loan will expand the microlender's portfolio and widen access to financing for Filipino women entrepreneurs.
Who's putting in what? Citi is directly providing more than P300 million and coordinated the deal, mobilising more than P1.2 billion from DEG, a member of KfW Group.
What does OnePuhunan do? It provides financing to underserved micro-entrepreneurs across the Philippines. As of 2025, it had a gross loan portfolio of more than P10 billion and ran 315 branches across 16 regions, serving more than 600,000 borrowers.
Why now? OnePuhunan plans to use the proceeds to broaden its reach and speed up the digitalisation of its operations. "This opportunity will support our efforts to expand our reach across the Philippines and accelerate the digitalization of our operations and offerings," president and chief executive officer Daniele Rovere said.
A first for DEG: The deal marks DEG's first debt financing in the financial inclusion sector in the Philippines. It is also Citi's first social finance partnership with DEG in the country and their third co-financing collaboration globally.
The signal: Global institutions are channelling capital into Philippine financial inclusion, betting that lending to women micro-entrepreneurs delivers both returns and development impact. "By improving access to finance, we want to empower women to expand their businesses, increase household incomes, and build stronger futures," DEG's director for financial institutions debt Asia/EMECA Juliane Loch said.
