International boxing champion Manny Pacquiao has launched a new payments platform under 7th Pillar Integration Systems Corp., moving to compete in the Philippines’ fast-growing but crowded digital finance market.
The service, branded Manny Pay, is starting as a payment gateway and aims to expand into a full e-wallet and domestic remittance offering, according to 7th Pillar president and CEO Marc Bundalian.
The company says the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has granted it a provisional authority to operate, with a 30-day window to prove compliance before a permanent license is considered.
The rollout underscores a broader push by local fintechs to carve out share in everyday transactions such as utility bills and transport top-ups.
Manny Pay plans to support water and power bill payments and toll reloading, with full payments coverage targeted by year-end.
The firm is also preparing to connect to InstaPay, the national real-time transfer network, to enable interbank movements once integration is complete.
Management is positioning price as a differentiator, indicating it will charge convenience fees roughly 2 pesos lower per transaction than rival services.
Longer term, the company intends to add fund transfers and remittances, with overseas Filipino workers a priority segment once it secures a full electronic money issuer license.
Manny Pay says its systems are hosted on Amazon Web Services and that it will pace expansion to emphasize security and reliability following recent consumer concerns about scams across parts of the industry.
The business is fully developed by a local engineering team, 7th Pillar added.
Pacquiao chairs 7th Pillar. The entry of a celebrity-led platform adds a high-profile name to the local fintech scene, but success will hinge on regulatory approvals, merchant adoption, and the ability to convert brand recognition into active users in a market where incumbents already dominate routine payments.
