How this worker found a quicker ride to a better life

MANILA, Philippines — Most weekdays, Anna Laika Santos leaves her home for work before sunrise, anticipating a full first jeepney and the possibility of delays. She knew that if rain came, fares spike, and a third transfer might never arrive.

On a map, the distance from her work to home looked short on a map. But in practice, it took much longer.

“‘Yung travel time ko, minsan isang oras, isang oras at kalahati,” she says. “Twenty minutes lang dapat ‘yun kung hindi traffic.”

Counting the hidden costs

Money equals time, so Anna began to add up the small expenses that never appear in a monthly budget—a ride-hailing surge after a sudden downpour, a last-minute motorcycle taxi when a bus broke down, a delivery fee because the market had already closed.

There was also a softer cost—apologies at work, the stress of racing a clock, the feeling of arriving late to her own evening.

She decided on a motorcycle. The next decision would be the loan.

Reading the fine print

She canvassed offers, and noticed that although the sticker prices looked similar, the terms did not.

Some “friendly” deals shifted at the counter, processing fees popped up late and add-ons made a clean budget messy.

“Kaso merong hidden charge,” she says of other lenders.

Her rules sharpened—no surprises, clear pricing, a schedule she could carry month after month.

A different tone

A friend pointed her to MotorsikLOAN from SB Finance, a product built for everyday riders, with non-life insurance bundled in. The tone felt matter-of-fact from the first inquiry.

“Doon, sobrang approachable, wala kaming hidden charges na babayaran,” Anna says.

Approval eventually arrived and the purchase moved from plan to pavement.

Two wheels, one new routine

She described her first week with the motorcycle as feeling like stepping into a day that finally matched the map.

Commutes took minutes, not an hour and a half. Routes that used to hinge on luck became reliable. She arrived on purpose.

Errands now fit between shift and groceries came home on a weekday instead of pushing into Saturday. Rest stopped feeling like a luxury. The gains looked small on paper and decisive in practice.

The insurance included with the loan mattered as it turned a risk into a plan. If something went wrong, it wouldn’t topple the household budget. She could ride without second-guessing every trip.

When she thinks about the change, Anna doesn’t quote totals. She lists moments. She can leave a little later and still be on time.

She no longer gambles on three transfers. She reaches a shop before closing instead of paying for delivery, and now eats dinner at home.

“Hindi lang motor ang binili namin, oras na rin,” she says.

The costs she no longer pays

Anna’s story is personal and common. In dense cities, mobility isn’t only about movement but also about reliability. A stable commute protects wages and a shorter trip opens a side gig or returns an evening to a family.

Before the loan, small emergencies and additional expenses often multiplied. Rain meant surge pricing; a full jeepney meant another fare; a missed connection meant a late mark at work. Each fix solved one problem and created another.

Now, with a motorcycle, made possible through a loan, the soft emergencies have thinned out.

With a fixed payment and no back-end add-ons, the budget became predictable.

When terms are clear and protection sits inside the product, trust grows. That trust functions like infrastructure. It turns “maybe” into “I can.”

When friends ask how she chose, Anna keeps the checklist short: Compare the real cost, not the teaser rate, and ask about protection.

She suggests choosing the path that respects both your money and your minutes. If month three still looks like month one, you picked well.

And although the distance between her office and home never changed, the clock seemingly did.

“‘Yung travel time ko, minsan isang oras, isang oras at kalahati… Twenty minutes lang dapat ‘yun,” she says—half report, half reminder of how far life moves when the day finally fits.

Then the line she repeats because it feels true every night she gets home on time.

“Hindi lang motor ang binili namin, oras na rin.”

The loan that made it possible

MotorsikLOAN is a motorcycle financing option for everyday riders—employed or self-employed. It offers clear pricing with non-life insurance included. Monthly rates start at 0.75% for medium/high-end bikes and 2.80% for regular bikes.

You can finance brand-new units via partner dealers or choose pre-owned/repossessed motorcycles. Terms are 12, 18, 24, 30, or 36 months (regular/medium) and up to 48 months for high-end units.

Loan amounts are available up to P 2,000,000, with cloud-based processing for quicker decisions and repayment schedules that fit typical household budgets.

Backed by Security Bank and Krungsri, SB Finance marks its fifth year with almost 500,000+ total accounts nationwide, and over P50 billion in total loans disbursed to date. The focus remains simple, transparent and protected credit so more Filipinos can turn time back into a tool.

Editor’s Note: This press release is sponsored by SB Finance, Inc. It is published by the Advertising Content Team that is independent from our Editorial Newsroom.