From neighborhood pop-ups to the country’s biggest creative fair, here’s how Maya is giving Filipino creators the tools to thrive in a cashless world.
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Filipino creativity always finds a way. It appears in handmade prints found at weekend fairs, in independent fashion labels reshaping local style, in playlists shared between friends, and in small brands that grow from a single idea into something people gather around. The brilliance is often rooted in resourcefulness and an instinctive sense of community, where imagination becomes a meeting point for people who want to create and connect.
The excitement surrounding these creative spaces often hides the practical work that supports their day-to-day reality. Payments, inventory, order tracking, pop-up logistics, and sourcing capital can make the process overwhelming for new and emerging makers. Many ideas stall when systems feel out of reach or too heavy for one person to manage.
As the Philippines’ #1 Fintech Ecosystem and Digital Bank, Maya helps address this gap by providing the tools that support real, sustainable growth. With Maya Business, creators are able to accept cashless payments like QR and card payments, and process sales quickly during fairs, pop-ups, and online drops. The Maya Black Credit Card expands this ecosystem through rewards, access, and partnerships that connect creators to broader networks. These systems strengthen the foundation that many makers rely on, allowing creativity to become a viable livelihood rather than a short-term experiment.
When processes become more accessible, more people gain the confidence to start. Filipino creativity continues to grow because communities keep forming around ideas that feel personal, meaningful, and worth sharing. With the right tools, these ideas gain the support they need to take shape at a scale that once felt distant.
A PLATFORM FOR CULTURE, COMMERCE, AND COMMUNITY AT THE PURVEYR FAIR
Purveyr Fair is a playground for Filipino creativity. One moment visitors are flipping through zines, the next they are discovering handwoven pieces, tasting local snacks, or finding a brand that suddenly feels like it belongs in their world. This year’s edition brought together thousands of makers, artists, and audiences in a celebration of homegrown talent.
Behind the scenes, Maya Business made exploring the fair effortless. Merchants could accept QR payments, debit and credit cards, and digital invoices without delays or cash hassles. Every transaction ran smoothly, giving attendees more time to discover new creators and ideas. Problems like weak signals or scrambling for cash were removed, making it easier for people to engage with art and creativity in fresh ways.
Purveyr Fair has always been about discovery, giving small brands a chance to connect with people who appreciate their vision. Technology added a new layer to that experience, making it easier to support local makers and helping creative ventures grow sustainably. Marvin Conanan, founder of the fair, says, “Purveyr Fair is about connection. It is creators meeting communities, people discovering new cultures, and audiences seeing how alive and diverse creativity is in the Philippines.”
Maya’s role at the fair shows how digital tools can do more than streamline payments. They help creative communities expand, reach new audiences, and turn ideas into ventures that last. With accessible systems in place, Filipino creativity can continue to thrive, evolve, and inspire.
SUPPORTING CREATORS BEHIND THE SCENES AT COFFEE PLZ
Maya’s impact can also be seen at Coffee Plz, a festival that reimagines how people experience coffee. Co-created by Yardstick Coffee’s co-founder Andre Chanco and Tricia Jose, the event blends top roasters from the Philippines and abroad with music, competitions, and culture, proving that coffee can be more than a drink but a shared cultural moment.
“Maya has been with us since the beginning,” shares Andre. “From our first store to our seventh, it has powered our payments: QR, cards, it’s so reliable that it frees us to focus on what really matters: the coffee and the experience.”
While the event celebrates coffee culture, it’s also a clear example of how Maya’s digital banking ecosystem supports SMEs behind the scenes. Yardstick, which has grown from one café to seven locations, has long relied on Maya’s QR and card payments to keep transactions effortless.
“We wanted to give customers a smooth experience during the festival, so partnering with Maya made perfect sense,” says Andre. “It’s forward-thinking, accessible, and perfectly aligned with our community. It’s been a big part of how we’ve grown, and being a Maya Black Preferred merchant only elevates that further.”
SUPPORTING LOCAL CREATIVITY, ONE TAP AT A TIME
Across the city, creative communities continue to evolve at the intersection of art, commerce, and culture. Maya’s partnerships with Purveyr Fair and Coffee Plz show that technology, when used with purpose, can do more than simplify payments. It can support Filipino makers and creators, making it easier for people to engage, explore, and sustain culture. Every scan and tap becomes an act of support, a tangible way to help the creative economy grow.
When creators no longer have to worry about long lines, handling cash, or slow transactions, they gain more time and mental space to focus on what they do best. Tools like Maya Business give small entrepreneurs, artists, and makers the freedom to scale their work sustainably while staying true to their vision.
What began as individual ventures has grown into a movement, proving that when innovation and creativity move together, Filipino culture becomes more connected, accessible, and ready for the next generation of creators.
To learn more about how you can support and grow your creative community, visit maya.ph or mayabank.ph, and follow @mayaiseverything on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Deposits are insured by PDIC up to ₱1 million per depositor. Maya Philippines, Inc. and Maya Bank, Inc. are regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
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