20 Years in Business. The Cash Flow Gap Never Went Away.

Andre Mongaya is the COO of a Cebu PR agency his parents built from nothing. He explains the gap between delivering for clients and getting paid for it, and what changed when the agency started financing its receivables.

PRWorks has been in business for 20 years. It started with Andre's mother, who ran weddings in Cebu back in 2000. His father was the managing editor of Super Balita, one of the most popular tabloids in the region. When an opportunity came to pivot into events and PR for a tech company, they took it.

Today, PRWorks is a full-service PR agency. PR is the central pillar, but the team handles marketing, event management, and everything in between. Andre runs operations. His mother is still the founder. The business funded his education and has supported the family for two decades.

But in all those years, there's one thing that hasn't changed. Cash flow financing Philippines agencies need is still the hardest part to get right.

"We're really a lean shop," Andre says. "It's first generation and we don't have generational wealth or resources or any of that. The challenge really is cash flow."

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Why a 20-Year-Old Agency Still Worries About Payroll

PRWorks isn't a startup. It's an established agency with long-term clients and a track record. But that doesn't protect it from the cash flow gap that hits every service business in the Philippines.

Here's the problem. When PRWorks closes a big retainer account, the client wants to start right away. The agency wants to start right away too. But before any money moves, the client's finance team has to process the accreditation. That process is stringent. It takes time.

"The people in these organizations, in their partner corporations, they really understand where we're coming from," Andre says. "But I think their hands are tied as well. They have deadlines to meet. It's just that there's processes on both sides."

So the work starts. The agency delivers. The invoice goes out. And then the waiting begins.

Meanwhile, the expenses don't wait.

"There are also suppliers, depending on the industry, that would really require payment of funds," Andre says. "Usually hotels, venues. So that's where we need to look for resources or usually we bankroll it ourselves to bridge these gaps."

This is the part that doesn't show up in a pitch deck. A PR agency organizing an event has to pay the venue, the caterer, the production team, sometimes weeks before the client pays a single peso. The corporate client long payment terms are one side of the problem. The supplier's immediate terms are the other. The gap sits on the agency's balance sheet.

"I think this is common to a lot of SMEs here," Andre says. "OPEX expenses and everything don't really wait for you. Compared to receivables, the receivables can be delayed, extended. But expenses, payroll, and whatever don't really wait."

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The Peace of Mind

PRWorks started using Jia for invoice financing for SMEs Philippines agencies can actually access. Instead of waiting for the client's payment to arrive, the agency can access a percentage of the invoice value upfront. When the client pays, the loan is settled. You pay us once you receive payment from your client, based on your agreed terms.

"It's like more of a payment advance," Andre says. "So it eases the burden of me waiting for the expected payment."

The impact isn't just financial. It's operational.

"What I get from Jia is really the peace of mind that I get for bridging those gaps," Andre says. "Not stressing out on looking for resources or collecting from clients, bugging them every day that, oh, this is due, this is overdue. It gives you the peace of mind. It reclaims your time that you can invest to other things, other opportunities."

That last part matters. For a lean shop, time is the scarcest resource. Every hour spent chasing payments is an hour not spent on new business, on client work, on team development. Cash flow solutions Philippines businesses like PRWorks can actually use don't just unlock cash. They unlock focus.

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What PRWorks Actually Wants

Not every business wants to be the next unicorn. Andre is clear about that.

"We're content with where we are," he says. "Our business has been here for 20 years. Funded my education and has been here until now. We're living comfortably."

His goal isn't exponential growth. It's succession. His mother built the agency and her name is on it. Andre wants to decentralize operations so the team can function without relying on her.

"My goal now is really to decentralize things for my mom," he says. "I'm empowering our team to see that it can function without relying on my mom."

That's a different kind of ambition. Not bigger. More resilient. A business that outlasts its founder. A team that can carry the work forward.

For that to happen, the agency needs to run smoothly. It needs cash flow that doesn't depend on chasing clients. It needs the space to take on the right projects without stressing about whether payroll will clear. That's what working capital solutions for SMEs should actually deliver.

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On the Stigma of Borrowing

Andre has a message for other business owners who are hesitant to access credit.

"There's a stigma in borrowing here, especially for small businesses," he says. "But I think if you can manage it, it really helps. Like access to credit really helps."

The key phrase is "if you can manage it." Invoice financing isn't a blank check. It's tied to real receivables from real clients. The work is done. The invoice is issued. The only question is timing.

For PRWorks, that timing was the difference between bankrolling every project out of pocket and having a partner who bridges the gap.

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What's Next

PRWorks is 20 years old. It's survived economic shifts, industry changes, and the slow grind of building a business in the Philippines. Andre isn't trying to triple revenue overnight. He's trying to build something that lasts.

"We're content with where we are," he says.

But content doesn't mean complacent. It means the business works. The team delivers. The clients come back. And the cash flow doesn't keep the COO up at night.

If you run a service business with long payment terms and short supplier deadlines, invoice financing might be the bridge you're looking for.

Talk to us about the invoices you're waiting on.

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