Villarica Pawnshop, one of the country’s leading pawnshops, called on Filipinos to rethink the way they see pawnshop services especially in this time of pandemic.
In the past years, especially in 2020 at the height of the lockdown and the pandemic, the purpose of the pawnshop industry has transformed in the eyes of the Filipino public.
Pawnshops have become quick access locations for cash in areas that have remained unserved by banks and traditional institutions, and some, like Villarica, were tapped by banks for more convenient financial access by Filipinos wherever they may be, even for quick capital for their business as well as local and international cash remittances from their loved ones abroad.
Villarica has also become an access point for bills payment, point-of-sale withdrawal, auctioned jewelry selling and even mobile phone and internet service loading on top of the traditional services of jewelry and item pawning in exchange for convenient and honest appraisal for cash.
“We want the Filipino people to know that we are here to serve and be a partner in hard times that they can even come to us for funding, kahit na pang gamit sa maliit na negosyo, be an entrepreneur like an on-line seller,” said Lester Villarica, vice president for operations of Villarica Pawnshop. “And we can guarantee fair appraisal, in fact the highest appraisal rates in the country today.”
He said he has been exposed to stories of people losing their jobs and now find themselves in search for opportunities, and this he said is where there is a need for people to start investing on themselves, and in their dreams to start their own small business and Villarica can help them with that.
Lester Villarica said the company has been providing Filipinos in need of instant cash since 1954, offering higher appraisal rate versus other pawnshops. This translates into more cash that may be taken home and used for whatever purpose. Their more than 600 branches nationwide accept an array of items, from jewelry to gadgets, as collateral.
The company has always adopted a customer-first mindset.
While pawnshops are allowed to collect service charge from its clients, they have refrained from doing so. On top of the high appraisal rate, they have also adopted the standard one-month term for all loans in addition to the 90-day reglementary grace period within which to pay the loan and redeem the pawned items.
“By and large, we have provided our clients with the most liberal terms and conditions such as the highest appraisal on all our loans and an interest rate lower than the prevailing interest being charged by majority of pawnshops in any given area of competition,” said Jester Villarica.