"Where can I invest my 1,000 pesos?" If you don't have a lot of cash right now but want to invest, you can start with a small amount like ₱1,000 and make it grow over time.
Beginner-friendly investments and many other options for different risk appetites are available to those who want to start investing in the Philippines. It’s up to you to find out which of these investments suits you best based on your budget, risk profile, and other considerations.
Where Can I Invest My 1,000 Pesos? 9 Cheapest Investments in the Philippines
If you have only ₱1,000 right now for investing, consider any of these cheap investments in the Philippines.
📈 Mutual Funds
Ideal for: Low to high-risk investors with long-term financial goals
Minimum additional investment: ₱1,000
A mutual fund pools money together from multiple investors (also called shareholders) into a bigger fund, which will then be invested in bonds, stocks, and/or money market funds. When you invest in mutual funds, a professional fund manager from the mutual fund company of your choice will make investment decisions for you to grow your money.
Mutual Fund Investing Advantages:
- Mutual funds are among the best investments in the Philippines, especially for beginners who have no time and expertise to monitor their fund’s performance.
- The money pooled from shareholders is professionally managed by fund managers.
- The bigger your investment and the longer you invest, the higher your chances of growing your funds.
- Most mutual funds require a minimum initial investment amount of ₱5,000. But you can make additional investments for a minimum of ₱1,000. Check out SunLife, ATRAM, and PhilAm, which offer some of the most affordable mutual fund investments in the Philippines.
Mutual Fund Investing Risks:
Investments may go up or down, so returns are not guaranteed. At some point, you could lose some funds on your investment.
📈 Unit Investment Trust Fund (UITF)
Ideal for: Low to high-risk investors with long-term financial goals
Minimum initial investment: ₱1,000
You can also invest your ₱1,000 in a Unit Investment Trust Fund (UITF), an open-ended trust fund that can be invested or withdrawn at any time (subject to guidelines based on the bank's declaration of trust).
UITFs are quite similar to mutual funds because both are pooled investment funds handled by fund managers. The only difference is that UITFs are offered by banks regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) while mutual funds are managed by companies regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
UITF Investing Advantages:
- Your money will be managed by a professional, so you won’t have to monitor the market daily.
- You’ll invest in high-yielding assets that are traditionally available only to institutional investors.
- To buy and withdraw UITF units, just request a withdrawal, and the bank will credit your money to your settlement account.
- You can invest for as low as ₱1,000. Check out the UCPB Philippine Index Equity Fund or the ATRAM Asia Equity Opportunity Feeder Fund to get started.
UITF Investing Risks:
Like mutual funds, returns from UITF are also not guaranteed. Prepare to lose some funds from your investment.
📈 Stocks
Ideal for: High-risk investors with long-term financial goals
Minimum investment: ₱1,000
Can I invest in stocks with 1,000 pesos? Yes, you can do that nowadays.
Joining the stock market in the Philippines means buying shares of a publicly listed corporation and becoming one of its part-owners or shareholders. You’ll earn when the company performs well, and you’ll lose if they perform poorly.
Stock Investing Advantages:
- Investing in stocks yields high earnings when you buy stocks of a company at a low market price and then sell them later at a higher price.
- You’ll have easy access to funds, which can be cashed in or out through your broker during trading hours.
- To open a stock trading account, you’ll only need to initially invest at least ₱1,000 and open a stock trading account. COL Financial offers one of the most affordable stock market investments in the Philippines with its COL Easy Investment Program.
Stock Investing Risks:
Stocks are a high-risk investment because prices tend to rise and fall rapidly depending on market conditions. If the market price goes down, you’ll lose funds. However, you can limit risk by putting your money in different stocks and allocating only a portion of your income to stock investing.
📈 Time Deposit
Ideal for: Low-risk investors with short to medium-term goals
Minimum investment: ₱1,000
If you have at least ₱1,000 for investing, you can put it in a time deposit and let it earn a fixed interest over a specific period or term. Usually, the lock-in period can be less than or more than a year, but longer periods require higher placement amounts.
Time Deposit Advantages:
- Time deposits are a safe and stable investment option. They're insured up to ₱500,000 per depositor by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC).[1]
- Interest rates are fixed, guaranteed, and higher than those of regular savings accounts.
- Time deposits are simple to understand and set up.
Time Deposit Risks:
Time deposits have lower interest rates than mutual funds, UITFs, and even government savings programs like Pag-IBIG MP2.
📈 Pag-IBIG MP2 Savings Program
Ideal for: Pag-IBIG members with low income or who have never tried investing before
Minimum investment: ₱500
The Modified Pag-IBIG 2 Savings (MP2) program is another budget-friendly investment for Filipinos. You can start investing for as low as ₱500 a month. Enjoy government-guaranteed savings and annual dividends with rates ranging from 4% to 8%.[2]
Moreover, there's no limit to how much you can invest. After five years, your MP2 savings will mature and you have the option to either withdraw your savings or let your dividends grow for the next two years.
📈 SSS WISP Plus
Minimum contribution: ₱500
Ideal for: Qualified SSS members who want to invest money for building their retirement fund
For just a minimum of ₱500 per payment, you can invest through the SSS Worker’s Investment and Savings Program (WISP) Plus. It's a new voluntary retirement savings program that allows SSS members to pay their contribution anytime.
Like the Pag-IBIG MP2, SSS WISP Plus is an affordable, safe, flexible, and tax-free government savings program. Also, the earnings are higher than regular savings and time deposit accounts. What's more, you'll receive additional benefits upon retirement.
Pag-IBIG/SSS Investment Program Advantages:
- Low initial investment requirement: start investing for as low as ₱500.
- Since they're both regulated by the government, there’s a slim chance of losing your savings.
- Registration is a breeze as long as you’re already a Pag-IBIG or SSS member. Monthly payments are not required, and you won’t be penalized for late payments.
- If you're worried about investment scams, then these government funds are perfect since they're already well-vetted.
Pag-IBIG/SSS Investment Program Risks:
Your dividends will depend on the financial performance of Pag-IBIG and SSS as a whole, so expect some inconsistent earnings. For instance, MP2 dividend rates declined during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 but have recovered in 2022 along with the post-pandemic recovery in the Philippines.
📈 GFunds
Ideal for: First-time investors with low income and anyone with a fully verified GCash account
Minimum investment: ₱50
Wondering where to invest a small amount of money as a student or low-income earner in the Philippines? What if you can afford to invest only less than ₱100? With GFunds, you surely can!
Initially launched in 2018 under GInvest, GFunds is an investment marketplace feature of the GCash app[3] created for new and experienced investors who need an easy-to-use investment platform. It provides access to global and local funds, including Apple, Google, Ayala Land, and BPI.
To start investing via GFunds, go through the GCash account verification process, make an initial investment (at least ₱50), and cash in or cash out with your GCash wallet.
GFunds Advantages:
- Invest for as low as ₱50, one of the lowest initial investments in the Philippines.
- No need to worry about submitting documents or maintaining a balance. Just register and invest.
- Since it's powered by the GCash app, you can buy, sell, and manage your funds online with your smartphone. You can add to your investment easily with just a few taps.
- There's no minimum holding period in GInvest, which means you can make a GInvest withdrawal anytime.
GFunds Risks:
Technically, the risks are low to none since you’re investing low amounts of money.
📈 Investa
Ideal for: Newbie investors looking for affordable investments
Minimum investment: ₱50
Philippine fintech startup Investa offers a hassle-free investment app that helps investors grow their money through passive income.[4] The Investa app is available for download at the Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and Huawei App Gallery.
Through this passive income app, you can start investing for just ₱50. Investa runs an educational and investment platform called Investagrams where potential investors can learn about stock market strategies, virtual trading, and analytics tools with a community of fellow stock market enthusiasts.
Investa Advantages:
- Invest a small amount of money (just ₱50 minimum).
- You can explore Investa's website and get information about investing for free. Also, you can experience investing before you do the actual investing through virtual trading.
- Get access to free tools, analyses, calculators, screeners, and more.
Investa Risks:
It's a fairly new investment platform, so people may not know a lot about it just yet.
📈 Maya Crypto
Ideal for: Crypto newbies who want to try investing
Minimum investment: ₱1
Yup, you read that right. You can invest through Maya Crypto for as low as one peso![6]
Through Maya Crypto, you can also cash in, buy and sell, and cash out your earnings. If you're confused by all the crypto content online, check out the Maya app's guide to get started.
You can even use your crypto earnings to pay bills, buy load, and more through the Maya app. Just verify your account to start trading in cryptocurrencies.
Maya Crypto Advantages:
- Start investing for as low as ₱1, making it one of the best investments for beginners in the Philippines, including students and fresh college graduates.
- It's very convenient since you can process everything online through the Maya app.
- Crypto has a very high risk-reward ratio.
Maya Crypto Risks:
The cryptocurrency market is known for its volatility, so tread carefully. Don't risk any investment you're not willing to lose.
Final Thoughts
You no longer have to wonder, "Where can I invest my 1000 pesos?" Thanks to these inexpensive investments in the Philippines, you'll have the chance to grow your ₱1,000 passively. You can even combine these investment vehicles to form a diversified portfolio and minimize risks.
Having only a low amount shouldn't stop you from investing. What matters more is that you’re already taking the first step toward financial freedom. Do it as soon as you can—right after you read this article even—so your money will have more time to grow.
Back to the main article: How to Grow Your Money: 7 Investing Tips to Help You Reach Your Goals
Sources:
- [1] What types of deposits are insured by PDIC? (PDIC official website)
- [2] Pag-IBIG MP2 Dividend Rates
- [3] GFunds (GCash official website)
- [4] Investa official website
- [5] Investagrams
- [6] Maya Crypto official website
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