A nearly 10-year-old ₱180,000 card balance was settled for ₱26,000; the certificate was still pending

One borrower had opened an EastWest credit card in 2015. After unexpected life events and missed payments, the borrower reported that an original principal of about ₱18,000 had grown to roughly ₱180,000 with interest and other fees over almost ten years. The first one-time settlement offer was ₱50,000. The borrower explained by email that this amount was still unaffordable and that ₱26,000 was the most available as a breadwinner. After repeated back-and-forth communication, Collectius and FF Magtibay Law Office accepted the ₱26,000 offer. Before sending payment, the borrower did not rely on the collection message alone. The borrower called EastWest and then Collectius to verify that the law office was authorized to collect the account. After that verification, the borrower paid the accepted amount. The payment process also required a receipt, a valid ID and a signed Arrangement Letter. The borrower said the payment was complete, but the Certificate of Full Payment had not yet arrived. The stated waiting time was 30 to 40 working days. This account records one negotiated settlement. It does not establish that another borrower will receive the same reduction, that old balances are routinely reduced to a fixed percentage, or that a payment alone proves the account is already reflected as closed in every credit record. Where the story stood The negotiated ₱26,000 payment had been completed after the collecting parties were verified. The final payment certificate was still pending, and the public source contains no later confirmation from the same borrower that it was received.