Credit Attitudes Shift Nationwide as TransUnion’s 2025 Credit Perception Index Reveals Growing Knowledge and Trust Beyond the Capital

• Driven by strong improvements in product knowledge and trust, the Credit Perception Index score of Filipinos outside the capital stands at 73 in 2025 — matching those based in the capital
• Conventional credit tools such as credit cards and traditional banks remain more prominent in the capital, while mobile loan apps, money lenders and microloan providers are gaining interest in other regions
• A majority of Filipinos outside the capital report strong demand for financial education (70%) and interest in new digital financial products (65%) 

Manila, Philippines, February 19, 2026 – TransUnion (NYSE: TRU), a global information and insights company and the Philippines’ first comprehensive private credit reference agency, today released additional findings from the 2025 Credit Perception Index (CPI). The data reveals a nationwide rebalancing of credit sentiment as Filipinos outside the Greater Capital Region (GCR) show rising financial literacy and openness to credit products, reshaping how consumers engage with credit across the country. For purposes of the study, GCR refers to the economic zone composed of Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon.

The CPI score — a combined measure to capture Filipinos’ knowledge, trust, and favorability toward credit and other financial products — among those residing outside the capital rose from 71 in 2024 to 73 in 2025, matching the 73 score of Filipinos based in the capital. This upward trend was driven by sizable gains in product trust (+11 points) and product knowledge (+6 points), likely reflecting sustained efforts by the public and private sectors over the years to expand credit awareness, education and access across the country.

“Filipinos outside the capital region are making notable strides, driven by sizable gains in both knowledge and trust of credit products,” said Peter Faulhaber, President and CEO of TransUnion Philippines. “This progress shows that more consumers are ready and willing to participate in the credit economy, reflecting a meaningful shift in how Filipinos understand and engage with financial products.”

Borrowing Preferences Differ Across Regions 

Alongside improved credit perception, intent to use credit is now comparable between consumers within and outside the capital. According to TransUnion’s 2025 CPI, close to two in every five Filipinos (38% in the capital and 39% in other regions) expressed a willingness to use credit to make purchases in the next three months from the time of the study. However, differences emerge in attitudes towards the various products.

Among respondents from the capital region, 44% expressed interest in using credit cards, compared with 36% from those outside the capital. Similarly, 40% indicated preference for borrowing from traditional banks vs 37% beyond the capital.

In contrast, Filipinos residing outside the capital region show greater openness to non-conventional financial solutions than capital residents, such as mobile loan apps (33% vs 27%), money lending services (29% vs 21%), and micro loan providers (22% vs 17%) — options that often offer a higher level of convenience and speed for consumers in areas usually with fewer traditional banking touchpoints.

These preferences align with reported rising product knowledge of small-ticket credit products among those based outside the capital, where perceived understanding of mobile loans (65% vs 60%), micro loans (54% vs 44%) and payday loans (54% vs 49%) are notably stronger than among those living in the capital.

Growing Openness to Financial Learning 

Strong appetite for financial education may explain the improved credit knowledge and thus, trust among Filipinos outside the capital. The 2025 CPI shows that Filipinos outside the capital have a clear demand for financial learning. More than two-thirds (70%) of respondents from these areas expressed willingness to access educational materials to improve their finances, while a majority (65%) also reported strong openness to exploring new digital financial products and services.

In terms of education channels, social media remains the leading source of information on both financial and credit products for consumers within and outside the capital. Sixty percent from each group said they would like to learn about financial products via social platforms and a similar pattern appears for credit products, with 59% and 58% from the capital and beyond, respectively, sharing this preference.

In response to this strong appetite for financial education in the country and the preference for digital channels, TransUnion’s new partnership with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinos (BSP) serves as a timely initiative to deliver digital learning materials anywhere, anytime through multiple touchpoints.

The upcoming BSP E-Learning Academy (BELA) credit education module — soon accessible through the BSP Mobile App — will provide Filipinos nationwide with practical and engaging resources on understanding and managing credit. This initiative makes TransUnion the first credit reference agency in the Philippines to collaborate on the BSP’s digital BELA program to promote credit education, directly advancing financial literacy and financial inclusion among Filipinos while reshaping the country’s credit landscape.

“What we see in the latest TransUnion CPI is clear: interest and readiness for credit are rising well beyond the capital region, creating both an opportunity and a responsibility for the industry to expand access and education,” added Faulhaber. “TransUnion remains committed to driving this progress by partnering with financial institutions to broaden credit access, while delivering credit education initiatives that empower consumers across the country to manage credit responsibly.”