JUANHAND EARNS GREEN FLAG RECOGNITION FROM FILIPINO FAIR LOANS ADVOCACY GROUP (FILFLAG)
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UANHAND, the leading fintech lending platform in the Philippines, has been awarded the Green Flag status by the Filipino Fair Loans Advocacy Group (FILFLAG), one of the largest borrower associations in the country. The Green Flag distinction is given only to online lending platforms (OLPs) that meet FILFLAG’s strict standards for transparency, fairness, and responsible lending. JuanHand was recognized for its reasonable interest rates, clear and transparent repayment terms, ethical collection practices and full compliance with regulatory guidelines. “We are honored and grateful to receive this recognition from FILFLAG,” said Francisco Roberto “Coco” D.C. Mauricio, President and Chief Executive Officer of WeFund Lending Corp. (JuanHand). “It helps validate what we have been advocating and practicing from the
onset: providing financial services in a dignified, compliant and courteous manner, enabled by cutting edge AI. We deeply value this recognition from FILFLAG as it’s a testament that Filipinos can choose a trusted, credible and proven online lending brand for their basic financial needs. We will strive to work closely with consumer advocacy groups such as FILFLAG to promote responsible lending and ensure borrowers do not fall prey to numerous predatory and illegal lenders out there.”, he stated. The financial services platform is celebrating its 6th anniversary and is continuously growing rapidly by offering accessible credit solutions to underserved yet creditworthy Filipinos. As of 2025, JuanHand has disbursed more than P55 billion in nano-loans to over 2.5 million borrowers, cementing its status as a key driver in accelerating financial inclusion in the country.
With its Green Flag status, JuanHand joins a select group of fintech firms leading the charge in providing ethical digital lending. The recognition also demonstrates the platform’s dedication to improving industry standards in collaboration with regulators, consumer advocacy groups, and relevant stakeholders. Filipino Fair Loans Advocacy Group (FILFLAG) is a consumer advocacy group established in 2023 with a mission to advocate for equitable lending practices, to safeguard the rights of borrowers, and to provide support to those who have been victimized by predatory lending. It also aims to promote responsible borrowing and to create a balanced and fair lending environment for all parties involved. You may access the complete list of Green Flag OLAs on FILFLAG’s social media platforms and on the group’s official website (filflag.org).
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END-MAY ’25 SUBSIDIES TO GOCC DIP 21% TO ₧45B www.businessmirror.com.ph
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Monday, July 14, 2025 Vol. 20 No. 274
P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 22 pages | 7 DAYS A WEEK
By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto @reine_alberto
S
TATE-RUN corporations received lower subsidies from the government as of the end of May this year compared to a year ago, according to the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr).
GOCC SUBSIDIES SINK 21%
Gov’t trims GOCC funds; health insurer loses entire subsidy Top Recipients of Government Subsidies Among GOCCs (End-May 2025) P15,336,000,000
National Irrigation Administration (NIA) P8,000,000,000
Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM) P3,750,000,000 P2,250,000,000 P1,939,000,000
▼Total Subsidies Down 21% Year-on-Year to P45.05B
Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA)
P1,699,000,000
P57.05 billion
National Housing Authority (NHA)
P1,346,000,000
National Electrification Administration (NEA)
P1,253,000,000
Philippine Heart Center (PHC)
May 2025
P932,000,000
Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC)
P919,000,000
National Power Corporation (NPC)
P856,000,000
National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI)
P812,000,000 P592,000,000
Philippine National Railways (PNR) International Broadcasting Corporation (IBC)
P527,000,000
Small Business Corporation (SB Corp)
P502,000,000
Land Bank of the Philippines
May 2024
P1,121,000,000
Philippine Rubber Research Institute (PRRI)
National Irrigation Administration (NIA): Largest Subsidy Recipient
P45.05 billion
P7,000,000
Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) P7,000,000 Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) P0
PhilHealth: No Subsidy for 2025
→0 subsidy in 2025
(as of end-May) →P9.599 billion subsidy received in 2024 (same period) →Budget removed by Bicameral Conference Committee due to underutilization of funds and the P89.9-billion fund transfer to the National Treasury, of which P60 billion has been remitted.
Latest BTr data showed the government cut down its subsidies for state-run firms to P45.049 billion as of end-May 2025. This is lower by 21.03 percent from P57.047 billion in the same period last year. During the five-month period, major non-financial government corporations received a
→ P15.336 billion subsidy in 2025 (as of end-May) → P29.012 billion subsidy in 2024 (same period) →▼47.13% year-on-year →Still the top recipient of government subsidies despite sharp decline P20,000,000,000
52.32-percent share or P23.573 billion, while other government corporations obtained 46.54 percent or P20.967 billion, followed by government financial institutions with P509 million. Among the corporations that acquired subsidies during the period, the National Irrigation AdSee “End-May,” A2
POPULAR ‘TAWILIS’ SEES PRICES PLUNGE ON SABUNGEROS’ CASE By Jonathan L. Mayuga
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HE retail price of Sardinella Tawilis—locally known as the very popular tawilis-dropped to P100 per kilogram, from the usual P250 per kilogram, amid reports that bodies of the missing sabungeros were dumped in Taal Lake, a fisherfolk advocacy group has reported. In a statement, Pamalakaya said this “all-time low” price of tawilis has already reached several areas in Cavite. Tawilis, the only freshwater sardinella species, is found ex-
clusively in Taal Lake. “We received reports of the price of tawilis going down to as low as P100 in several towns in Cavite. If the price is low in the market, the farmgate price is even lower,” said Pamalakaya chairperson Fernando Hicap. Since the report broke of missing sabungero’s remains having been dumped in Taal Lake, fishers who depend on Taal Lake have complained of the “fear” of contamination it has created among the buying public. While the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) See “Popular,” A2
BM Graphics: Ed Davad | Source: Bureau of the Treasury
National Food Authority (NFA) Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA)
THE MAGIC OF MANHATTANHENGE Few things make people stop in New York. But on Friday, July 11, 2025, everything did. For a few golden minutes, the city’s pace slowed to a hush as the
sun dropped perfectly between the buildings on 42nd Street. It was the first night of Manhattanhenge this year, and it was magic. Tourists, locals, photographers, kids on scooters, gathered at just the right spot. Phones were in the air. Heads turned west. And there it was: the sun, glowing like a molten coin, slipping down the avenue with almost surgical precision. Manhattanhenge is when the sunset lines up exactly with the city’s east-west grid. It’s named after Stonehenge, though this version is surrounded by honking taxis and blinking billboards instead of ancient stones and open fields. It only happens a couple of times a year, and every time, New Yorkers treat it like a minor holiday, part science, part street theater, part shared ritual. TROI SANTOS
‘Prez may grant perks to select investors’ By Joel R. San Juan
T
@jrsanjuan1573
HE Department of Justice (DOJ) has declared that the President may grant tax benefits, power rate discounts and other incentives to qualified investors in the interest of national economic development. In a seven-page legal opinion dated July 8, 2025, DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla stressed such support being extended to preferred private entities does not violate the equal protection clause as guaranteed under the Constitution. “Jurisprudence teaches that while the equal protection clause of the
Constitution is against undue favor and individual or class privilege, it does not demand absolute equality, it merely requires that in conferring privileges and enforcing liabilities, all persons under like circumstances and conditions be treated alike,” Remulla explained. “It does not prohibit legislation that grant only privileges or incentives to persons falling within a specified class, if the law applies alike to all persons within such class, and reasonable grounds exist for making a distinction between those who fall within such class and those who do not,” he added. The DOJ issued the legal opinion upon the request of Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, who chairs
the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB), concerning the interpretation and propriety of the Presi-
dent’s authority under Section 301 of the National Internal Revenue See “Prez,” A2
Freshly Brewed
BEYOND ‘INCOGNITO’ NETFLIX DIRECTOR LESTER PIMENTEL ONG TALKS FILM, FOOD, AND FIGHTING FORMS»A12
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 56.4350 n JAPAN 0.3859 n UK 76.6444 n HK 7.1899 n CHINA 7.8622 n SINGAPORE 44.1071 n AUSTRALIA 37.1455 n EU 66.0572 n KOREA 0.0411 n SAUDI ARABIA 15.0473 Source: BSP (July 11, 2025)