Transforming how its distributor network in the Philippines can tap technology to boost business resilience can unlock inclusive growth and resilience.
In a new digital initiative in the Philippines to modernize how payments and financing are managed across a nationwide network of over 200,000 distributors and retailers, including sari-sari stores, Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. (PCPPI) recently announced a tie-up with an integrated digital bank and payments processing platform.
The initiative is designed to make it easier for business owners within the PCPPI distribution ecosystem to collect payments, access capital, and streamline day-to-day operations. Distributors and retailers will benefit from faster collections through the end-to-end cashless payment system.
The system reconciles transactions in real-time, reduces risks tied to cash handling, leverages AI for credit scoring, and even access to working capital loans — linked directly to real-time sales and payment data. This provides sari-sari store owners and distributors with accessible financing options that can fund their inventory purchases and fuel business growth.
Across the Philippines, more firms are embedding financial services into their supply chains not just to digitalize payments, but to strengthen last-mile relationships with trade partners. For PCPPI, this digital transformation of its distributor management system offers a working model for how digital finance can unlock inclusive growth and long-term resilience across the local retail landscape.
The connected, end-to-end financial infrastructure supports everything from collections to inventory financing, according to PCPPI’s President and CEO, Phyo Phyu Noe: “By shifting to digital payments and financing, we’re making it easier for our partners to do business and grow with us… (and) supports our goal of streamlining operations and strengthening support for our distributors and retail partners.”
The transformation also reflects a broader trend in the country’s fast-moving consumer goods sector, where embedded digital finance is emerging as a key driver of agility, efficiency, and growth at the grassroots level.
According to Shailesh Baidwan, President and co-founder, Maya Bank, the provider of the digital payment and banking platform: “By simplifying collections and improving access to financing through our digital banking platform, we’re helping (PCPPI) run their businesses more efficiently and grow with confidence in an increasingly digital world.”
