Maya, the digital banking and finance platform, hosted a celebratory gathering for actor Jericho Rosales on Thursday night, November 20, at the newly opened Quezon Club in Solaire Resort North, marking the continued success of the historical drama Quezon, now running for six consecutive weeks in cinemas nationwide.
The evening carried the same bold, magnetic energy associated with Maya’s flagship product: Maya Black. Cast members, creatives, and special guests mingled in an atmosphere many described as a club befitting the film’s enigmatic tone—mirroring the personality of Manuel L. Quezon as imagined onscreen.
“If Quezon was really alive, he would be here,” Rosales told the cheering crowd, gesturing to the vibrant space. “If he had a card, it would simply say ‘Maya Black.’ I think he would want this floor to be a mini-carpet but still a dance floor. He would love to dance.”
The playful line earned applause and laughter, bridging the film’s legacy of a revered national leader with the modern iconography of Maya’s elevated digital lifestyle branding.
What began as an intimate cast celebration transformed into a toast to Quezon’s commercial achievement.
“Maya throws the best parties,” Rosales said proudly. “But I did not expect that we would be celebrating the victory of Quezon. I’d like to say thank you.”
He proceeded to acknowledge the people behind the film’s sustained momentum—in front of colleagues who knew how difficult it was to carry a historical biopic into mainstream success. Rosales called out members of the team one by one: Pepe, Daya, Jess, and the makeup department, thanking them for elevating every detail of the film.
“I’d like to call Maul, Jake, Daphne, Harold, Steve, and Remington,” he continued. “The film has become something else. It’s like a movement. I’m so honored to be a part of this.”
A key moment of the evening came when Rosales introduced producer Daphne Chu, representing PBA Studios, the production house behind Quezon. Guests applauded as Chu stepped forward, acknowledging an institution that has spent a decade pushing Philippine cinema forward.
“PBA Studios gave us ten years of their life in delivering amazing cinema to Filipinas,” the host declared, before inviting Chu to speak.
The applause that followed carried more meaning than celebration—it was gratitude, relief, and creative solidarity. To many in attendance, Quezon was not just a film. It was a reminder of how Filipino stories—political, cultural, personal—still matter.
Long before national promotions for Quezon began on October 15, Maya primed the public’s imagination months earlier. In August, Maya launched its premium credit solution Maya Black, introduced under the Maya ecosystem as a tool for democratizing access to elevated financial experiences—without the gatekeeping traditionally associated with high-end credit cards.
Maya Group President and Maya Bank Co-Founder Shailesh Baidwan emphasized the significance of this market: only 15% of Filipinos currently own a credit card, leaving a massive opportunity for financial inclusion.
Baidwan explained that Maya Black was engineered with both security and user confidence in mind—no printed card number, expiry date, or CVV. Instead, these details are accessed through the Maya app, and its CVV automatically refreshes every 24 hours, discouraging fraud and card cloning.
Maya also introduced Maya Black Preferred, a rewards program where users earn miles with every transaction, plus DragonPass airport lounge access—a perk typically reserved for elite cardholders. At the launch, celebrities Julia Barretto, Maris Racal, and Jericho Rosales were unveiled as the product’s newest endorsers.
Demand came quickly: during the soft launch in May 2025, Maya Black already reached 40,000 cardholders, signaling strong appetite for more accessible premium financial tools.
One of Black’s most progressive offerings is Maya Black Express, built for Filipinos who are still developing credit history. Users can secure instant approval based on deposits within the app. Without lengthy financial records, applicants can still enjoy the same features as standard cardholders—turning Maya into both a financial tool and an entry point to long-term asset building.
The connection between the film and the card may seem symbolic on the surface—but inside the Quezon Club, it was lived, embodied. The film speaks to a legacy of leadership. The card speaks to a democratization of access. Both speak to Filipinos aiming for more.
