For the first time ever, the Philippine government’s Retail Treasury Bonds (RTB) have been made available on an e-wallet platform enabling small investors to purchase government securities through the GBonds feature of the GCash app.
“We are thrilled to bring RTB 31 to the GCash app. This collaboration significantly expands our reach, enabling more Filipinos to invest in government securities easily and securely. It’s a monumental step toward our goal of a more financially inclusive Philippines, giving more people the opportunity to build their savings and contribute to the nation’s economic growth,” said National Treasurer of the Philippines, Sharon P. Almanza.
According to the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr), they initially planned to issue a minimum offer size of P30 billion for the five-year RTBs, but due to strong investor demand, it eventually sold P210 billion during the rate-setting auction which resulted in a 6 percent coupon rate.
GCash users who sign up for GBonds can instantly place a buy order for the government’s 31st Retail Treasury Bond Issuance (RTB 31) from August 5 until the end of the offer period on August 15.
“For a minimum investment of P5,000 with no extra fees, GCash users can instantly place a buy order for RTB 31 anytime within the offer period once they sign up for GBonds. More Filipinos will have the chance to take part in nation-building while taking a significant step toward their financial goals through this innovation,” said Martha Sazon, president and CEO of GCash parent Mynt.
“In making RTBs more accessible to millions more Filipinos, we’re also enabling retail investors to contribute to the P2.6 trillion borrowing program of the government to fund essential projects,” she added.
Powered by Philippine Digital Asset Exchange (PDAX), Inc. and Bonds.ph, in partnership with the Bureau of the Treasury, GBonds became available to the public in July, allowing fully verified users to access fixed-income government securities without the need for a bank account. Filipinos can place their bond investment order and get confirmation in a few minutes in the GCash app.
Getting started on GBonds is easy and simple. Fully verified GCash users with an updated KYC within the past 3 years just need to open the app, go to GInvest, select GBonds, and register for a PDAX account, subject to their terms and conditions, to complete the registration process.
To get a fully verified GCash account, users are encouraged to go through the KYC process within the app ahead of starting on GBonds. This involves providing personal information, uploading a valid government ID, and completing a selfie scan.
