Before Bobby Jordan founded Asialink Finance Corp, he spent years working in banking, helping businesses secure loans. But there was one major problem—small businesses weren’t getting the help they needed.
As a loan officer at UCPB, Jordan worked in the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Loan Department. However, despite the name, the loans he processed were anything but small.
“Napansin ko when I was in UCPB, ang daming applications from small companies, but the problem was I couldn’t serve them because I also have a quota,” Jordan recalls.
Most of the loans he handled ranged from P20 million to P100 million. Smaller loan requests, like P2 million or P5 million, were often overlooked because banks prioritized larger, more profitable clients.
With only 55 officers nationwide, there simply weren’t enough people to process small business loans efficiently.
“There were a lot of them, mga small and medium enterprises, but we didn’t have time for that,” Jordan explains.
Frustration Turned Into Opportunity
Over time, Jordan became frustrated with the rigid structure of traditional banking.
“I have my Department Head, and then I have my Division Head, and then the President, and then the CEO. So the ways things I wanted to do, syempre hindi naman pwede kasi very structured,” he says.
Then, a client introduced him to the financing business, where companies were lending money for consumer goods and appliances. That was when Jordan had his big realization—why not create a financing company that actually serves SMEs?
Filling the Gap
Jordan took the leap and founded Asialink Finance Corp, focusing on lending to small and medium enterprises—the businesses that banks kept ignoring.
By offering more accessible and flexible financing options, Asialink quickly grew, proving that there was a huge demand for SME loans in the Philippines.
Today, Asialink has helped thousands of small businesses get the funding they need, turning Jordan’s frustration into a game-changing opportunity for entrepreneurs.
This article includes quotes from an interview originally published by Esquire Philippines, authored by Henry Ong.
