Rural Bank of Santa Maria renamed Billease Bank

The Rural Bank of Santa Maria in Ilocos Sur, Philippines, has officially changed its name to Billease Bank Inc., marking the next phase of consumer finance platform Billease’s expansion into banking operations. This corporate name alteration was officially ratified by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Lyn Javier on May 13, with the Securities and Exchange Commission confirming the amended articles of incorporation on September 1.

Following the acquisition of the 56-year-old Rural Bank of Santa Maria in November 2025, Billease has rebranded the institution, retaining its rural bank classification. Billease, known for its buy-now-pay-later service, is actively broadening its business model to incorporate deposit services, daily payments, and future savings products through its newly named banking arm.

The recent rebranding comes as Billease commits further financial resources to the lender, having invested P500 million in June and pledging an additional P500 million by the end of 2026, elevating the bank's capitalization to over P1 billion. In 2025, Billease reported a net profit of P840 million, with consolidated revenue surging by more than 80 percent to P9.3 billion.

The company’s consumer loan portfolio expanded by over 75 percent to about P11.9 billion, underpinning the revenue growth. Billease also announced plans to onboard more than 100,000 new customers monthly and has disbursed a total of P130 billion in loans.