Maya Philippines has unveiled a major new feature, "Maya Stocks," dramatically opening the door for its customers to participate directly in Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) of companies. The launch transforms the digital wallet experience, allowing millions of users to turn their savings into investments through a mobile-first, simplified platform. The feature is debuting just in time for a significant market event: the planned IPO of Maynilad Water Services Inc. (MYNLD). Maya Stocks will carry the offering through its initial partner brokers: DragonFi Securities Inc., F. Yap Securities Inc. (2TradeAsia), and Philstocks Financial. Shailesh Baidwan, president and co-founder of Maya Group and Maya Bank, highlighted the strategic importance of the rollout. "Maya Stocks provides a mobile-first experience that simplifies what was once a multi-step process," Baidwan said in a statement. Through the new feature, upgraded Maya users can complete several key steps—opening an...
Seabank Philippines Inc. changed its name to Maribank Philippines Inc. after the central bank and SEC approved its request to change its corporate name. The move marks the latest chapter for an institution with deep roots. Seabank is a registered rural bank that first rebranded from Banco Laguna, Inc. in December 2021. The bank’s history, however, stretches back 60 years to its founding as the Rural Bank of Pagsanjan in December 1965. This long history provides MariBank with the existing community ties sought by new entrants into the digital financial market. The name change follows the acquisition of Seabank by Singapore-based digital bank MariBank in April 2025. The transition received swift regulatory clearance: the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) approved the rebranding on April 21, 2025, while the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) followed suit on July 31, 2025, formalizing the corporate identity shift. The MariBank Singapore Banking Group operates as a ...