With the opening of the first branch of Cebuana Lhuillier in Cebu, the bank’s roster of products are expected to empower the region’s small and medium enterprises
Cebuana Lhuillier Bank (CLB), one of the country’s fastest growing rural banks, has set its sights for further expansion in the Visayas region, beginning with the opening of its first branch in Cebu City.
The move is in line with the bank’s mission of providing financial inclusion to every Filipino, especially to clients from the countryside. CLB, in particular, is reaching out to mom-and-pop businesses and to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) whose operations definitely needed a boost following the challenges brought to the economy these past two years.
“MSMEs have always been
the backbone of our economy, with 99% of total businesses in the Philippines
considered falling under this sector. They are also a major source of
employment, and also a major contributor in our total export revenues.[1] However, in spite their
huge contributions to the economy, MSMEs often lack financial resources that
will help in their growth and development,” Cebuana Lhuillier Bank president Dennis Valdes
said. “True to the mission of becoming a
partner for progress, CLB’s first-ever branch here in Central Visayas is open
to all, especially to the more than 65,000 MSMEs looking to further grow their
business.”
Located within the business center of the
city, CLB’s newest branch can be found in Acacia St., Brgy. Kamputhaw, Cebu
City. The bank offers a wide variety of business loan products primarily aimed
to provide financial assistance to MSME business owners for their working
capital, business expansion, and investment. Depending on the business size and
profile of the clients, CLB offers loan products such as Microfinance Loans,
SME loans, and Corporate Business Loans.
Jean Henri Lhuillier, President & CEO of
PJ Lhuillier Group of Companies, the parent company of Cebuana Lhuillier and
Cebuana Lhuillier Bank, enthuses, “As a
conglomerate, PJ Lhuillier has always been guided by its mission of financial
inclusion. We make sure that this is reflected in all the products we offer in
our companies, and a vital part of how we extend our services to the millions
of Filipinos who rely on us for their micro financial needs. Our banking arm,
Cebuana Lhuillier Bank is guided by this vision—from their ground-breaking
micro savings product which empowered close to 6M Filipinos to start saving for
their future, to their expansion plans to Visayas and Mindanao which will allow
them to serve more of our kababayans and MSMEs in rural communities.”
CLB currently offers housing loans and
business loans in the province. With low interest rates, fast application
process, and flexible loan payments, CLB aims to empower MSMEs and business
owners. Qualified CLB clients can get a maximum loan amount of PHP300,000 for
business loan.
Aside from business loans, CLB also offers
housing loans, and soon to be available in its Cebu branch, the Teachers Loan
and Motorcycle Loan products.
Amb. Lhuillier welcoming the expansion of Cebuana Lhuillier Bank in Cebu
To date, CLB already has five (5) branches
nationwide and is expected to reach Mindanao region before the year ends. As
the banking arm of micro financial services giant Cebuana Lhuillier, CLB
recently tapped the industry leader to serve as its cash agent, utilizing
Cebuana Lhuillier’s more than 3,000 branches nationwide for its Micro Savings
product. The wide network presence provided the bank and its clients greater
accessibility; while also enjoying wider connectivity thanks to the mobility
provided by eCebuana app, which enables clients to conveniently access micro
financial services such as Micro Savings, Money Remittance, Bills Payment,
and E-load services among others.
[1] https://www.philstar.com/business/2021/08/28/2123064/msmes-are-key-philippine-growth
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