Billease is expanding beyond buy-now-pay-later, transforming its Ilocos Sur rural bank as it prepares to launch savings and deposit products backed by more than ₱1 billion in targeted capitalization by the end of 2026.
Rural Bank of Sta. Maria (Ilocos Sur) Inc. has been renamed Billease Bank Inc. (A Rural Bank), bringing the lender under the same brand as the fintech’s consumer finance business.
As part of the expansion, the bank has elected former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Eduardo Bobier as an independent director, subject to BSP confirmation.
Bobier brings more than three decades of central banking experience. He most recently served as BSP deputy governor for the Corporate Services Sector, overseeing control, budget and administrative functions.
He previously held senior positions in the BSP’s comptrollership and treasury operations, including chief investment analytics officer and chief reserve management officer.
“Bringing the Bank under the Billease name is a natural next step in our mission to expand access to responsible financial services for underbanked Filipinos,” CEO and co-founder Georg Steiger said.
“A unified brand allows us to offer a more complete suite of financial products from credit to savings and deposits under one roof, helping more Filipinos build stronger financial futures,” he added.
The new savings and deposit products will be integrated into the Billease app, allowing the fintech to offer credit and banking services through a single platform.
Since acquiring the rural bank, the group has set up new governance committees, strengthened risk and compliance processes and begun modernizing its core banking systems.
Bank president and CEO Dennis Valdes said Bobier’s appointment would add central banking, treasury and institutional oversight experience to the board as the lender expands.
Founded in 1969, the former Rural Bank of Sta. Maria had operated for more than five decades before its acquisition as part of Billease’s expansion into regulated banking.
Billease is operated by First Digital Finance Corp. and was founded in 2017. Its investors include TPG’s The Rise Fund, Burda Principal Investments and Seawood.
