Over 500 farmers in Ilagan City, Isabela, now have direct access to digital financial services following a recent on-ground financial literacy caravan by GCash, the Philippines’ leading finance super app and largest cashless ecosystem. Through the recent Barangay GCash event, Ilagan corn and rice farmers learned how to access and use digital financial tools to manage savings and loans.
Ilagan farmers embrace digital finance through the GCash app
According to the latest report of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas under the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI), farmers — considered the backbone of the nation’s food security — remain the most excluded sector in terms of financial inclusion, with limited access to formal and secure financial services. Aligned with the BSP’s NSFI goals, GCash is working to close this gap by making financial services more accessible and relevant to farming communities.
The Barangay GCash event reflects the broader goal of GCash in ensuring no one is left behind by meeting farmers where they are, introducing them to formal and legitimate financial products, and equipping them with the knowledge to protect themselves through cybersecurity and data privacy education.
The caravan has already reached more than 7,000 farmers in agricultural regions across the Philippines, providing them with essential financial literacy skills that enable them to start, grow, and protect their businesses.
Ilagan City has more than 23,000 corn farmers and 8,000 rice farmers tilling 36,155 hectares of agricultural land. Their LGU invited people across its 91 barangays who took part in the caravan, underscoring the program’s reach within the community.
The Barangay GCash event served as a catch-all financial hub that combines financial literacy with access to digital products that help farmers build resilience and manage their income. In Ilagan, participants engaged with dedicated booths, games, and learning sessions that introduced them to practical money management tools and key financial services of GCash.
Farmers were shown how to grow their savings through a GSave Cebuana Lhuillier savings account and were introduced to GLoan, teaching them how credit can be used to finance farm inputs and emergencies.
The GCash Pera Outlet Program was also showcased, and private financial consultations were also a key feature, which had the highest engagement among all booths, after “Spot the Scam,” allowing people to have more open and honest conversations about money. This activity also featured cybersecurity learning sessions that trained participants to recognize fraudulent schemes.
Farmers were invited to share their personal challenges in using digital financial services, allowing GCash to gather feedback for designing better products that match their specific needs. To further encourage participation, the caravan raffled off practical farming tools such as sacks of fertilizer and backpack sprayers. The major prizes included two brand-new smartphones, 10 GCash Tech Items, and two GPO Business Packages, providing participants with both technology and capital to start their own digital financial service hubs.
Annabella Maymay of Ilagan City’s City Agriculture Office said the seminar taught her that using the GSave feature of the country’s leading financing super app would not only allow her to save money but also earn interest, which means more funds in her e-wallet.
Farmers Zenaida Resurrecion of Brgy. San Palo and Belinda Manuel of Sentro San Antonio agreed that the GSave feature could help them save money for rainy days. “I have something to pull from during an emergency. Even little by little, it (savings) will grow,” Manuel added.
Meanwhile, farmer Edgardo Loyzaga, resident of Brgy. San Isidro shared that the GCash app could help him in managing his own business, as well as monitoring cash flows.
Support from the local government unit has been crucial to the caravan’s success. The LGU of Ilagan provided support with the venue, the Ilagan Community Center, making our event another key leg in their overall farmer education program.
“Our goal at GCash is to make financial tools simple and accessible, especially for farmers who are the backbone of our food supply,” said CJ Alegre, VP and head of sustainability at Mynt, the parent company of GCash. “Through the Barangay GCash caravan, we are giving them the knowledge and resources to better manage their income, secure their livelihood, and build confidence in using digital finance. Financial literacy is the first step toward achieving financial health, and with the right tools, farmers can build a stronger foundation for the future.”
The program in Ilagan highlights the broader mission of GCash: to bring practical and relevant financial solutions directly to communities, ensuring that no sector is left behind in the country’s digital transformation.
Moving forward, the financial literacy caravan will be integrated into existing events of companies, educational institutions, and partner LGUs, including Valenzuela, Parañaque, Manila, Quezon City, and San Juan, to reach more communities nationwide. The financial literacy modules, which include topics on savings and debt management, were vetted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and co-created with wealth advisor Chinkee Tan.
By expanding access to savings, credit, insurance, and financial education, GCash is working toward a future where every Filipino, including farmers, can take part in the nation’s journey toward inclusive growth. For more information, please visit www.gcash.com.
