GCash partners with gov’t sector on Paleng-QR Ph for financial inclusion

CEBU CITY – Gcash joined hands with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in rolling out Paleng-QR Ph in Visayas to for financial inclusion for Filipinos nationwide in a “One with the Nation” forum on Innovative and Inclusive: The Future of Digital Financial Services at Seda Hotel on November 18 in Cebu City. 

GCash and the public sector program on Paleng-QR PH took turns in presenting the objectives and implementation of the digital initiative.

“We fully support Paleng-QR because we recognize that to get everyday Filipinos started on cashless transactions, the natural place to start is where they usually spend money – our palengkes and local transportation like tricycles. We positioned ourselves in these areas to enable more vendors and drivers to thrive through digital,” GCash President/CEO Martha Sazon said.

Paleng-QR PH was launched by the Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas and the DILG in June 2022 to promote cashless QR transactions among market vendors, community shopkeepers, and tricycle drivers to build the country’s digital payments ecosystem.

BSP Head of Regional Economic Affairs Staff, Gregg Bacay and some key officials from DILG, BSP and local government units in the Visayas region agreed to work together and pledged their support for the implementation and adaptation of the Paleng-QR Ph program to further push for the future of digital financial services in a post-COVID landscape.

According to Bacay and the team that by using the GCash app, tricycle drivers and merchants can easily receive and transfer money securely and conveniently with just a few taps on their smartphone, saving them time and effort.

“I will take charge of the service’s implementation in my city to the best of my abilities and throughout my term as mayor. I will work with financial service providers to ensure orderly and smooth transactions among residents and visitors in my city,” the team promised.

The forum also included talks about the “Pillars for Digital Financial Inclusion” by GCash AVP and Head of Public Sector and Partnerships Cathlyn Dolor Pavia, and “Bridging the Digitalization Gap with Accessible Financial Services for All” by Fuse Lending Chief Finance Officer Gabby Lacuesta and GCash Chief Commercial Officer Oscar Enrico Reyes wrapped up the event.

“By removing barriers through digital channels, we have made financial services easier to access and understand. Now, fishermen, palengke vendors, tricycle drivers, and street vendors already have GCash. We have definitely made progress.  But there’s still so much more we can do. We need to all work together for a brighter, more financially-inclusive future for Filipinos,” Sazon added.

GCash works for a future where financial services are accessible to everyone such as the unbanked and underserved. With over 71 million users, it leads the way in ensuring that everyday Filipinos have opportunities for savings, loans, investments, and insurance, which were previously unavailable to them.