Finance has become an essential part of an economy for development of the society as well as economy
of nation. World leaders are embracing nancial inclusion at an accelerating pace, because they know
that an inclusive nancial system that responsibly reaches all citizens is an important ingredient for social and economic
progress for emerging markets and developing countries. Despite the political tailwind, half of the working-age adults globally
– 2.5 billion people – remain excluded from formal nancial services. Instead, they have to rely on the age-old informal
mechanisms of the moneylender or pawnbroker for credit or the rotating savings club and vulnerable livestock for savings. The
pandemic has had a momentous impact on economies and societies around the world. At the same time, it has shown that, with
the right approach, it is possible to protect and safeguard the economy. . Through Financial inclusion we can achieve equitable
and inclusive growth of the nation. Financial inclusion stands for delivery of appropriate nancial services at an affordable
cost, on timely basis to vulnerable groups such as low income groups and weaker section who lack access to even the most
basic banking services. It helps in economic development as it widens the resource base of the nancial system by developing
a culture of savings among large segment of rural population. Further, nancial inclusion protects their nancial wealth and
other resources in exigent circumstances by bringing low income groups within the perimeter of formal banking sector.
Financial inclusion engages in including poor people in the formal banking industry with the intention of securing their minimal
nances for future purposes. Micronance has become a medium of extending nancial services to unbanked sections of
population. Micronance is banking the unbankables, bringing credit, savings and other essential nancial services within the
reach of millions of people who are too poor to be served by regular banks, in most cases because they are unable to offer
sufcient collateral. In a country like India with almost 30% (more than 360 million) people still below poverty line and
according to latest census gures, more than 70% or 840 million people living in rural areas with little or no access to formal
banking and other nancial services, micronance has a big role to play in order to bridge this gap. The Micro Finance
Institutions occupies key position in nancial inclusion through micro nance where the exclusion. In developing countries, the
growth of micronance institutions (MFIs) which specically target low income individuals are viewed as potentially useful for
promotion of nancial inclusion. Even though MFIs at present, mainly offer only credit products; as they grow, they are likely to
expand their product range to include other nancial services.
The COVID-19 pandemic, remittances and financial inclusion in the Philippines
