DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PIA) โ Some stall owners at the Dumaguete City Public Market have started to adopt digital payment systems for seamless transactions with their customers.
Among them was Joric Andayao, a vendor at the Painitan section of the public market.
He sells local snacks like puto maya, sikwate (sticky rice and hot chocolate), bread, sandwiches, and other delicacies in his stall.
Andayao said payment processes on digital platforms are more secure and easier than manual payment methods.
โOkay gud siya kay kato wala mga cash didto lang sila sa mobayad (sa digital platform). Okay ra man siya dali naman pod basta kabalo na ka daan. Mas secured gud nimo ang kwarta,โ he said.
(Itโs really an advantage because those customers who donโt have cash can pay through the digital platform. Itโs also easy to use as long as you are familiar with it, and most importantly, your money is secured.)
Another stall owner, Louie Katada, added that cashless payments also bring additional benefits for vendors.
โMas advantage siya kay dili ta maglisod para mag-collect og bayad kay mosulod na siya sa imo account diretso. Wala pod siya transmittal og mikrobiyo sa atoa. Advantage gud siya,โ Katada said.
(It ensures seamless collection or transfer of cash because it goes directly to your account. Aside from that, it also prevents transmission of microbes that could cause diseases. I think those are the advantages of this.)
Andayao and Katada were among the market vendors who welcomed the roll out of the Paleng-QR PH program of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) at the Dumaguete City Public Market.
BSP-7 regional director Anna Clara Oville, BSP Dumaguete Branch Area director Jocelyn Ladero, and Mayor Felipe Remollo led the launching of the Paleng-QR PH at the Painitan section on Sept. 25.
The Paleng-QR PH Program was jointly developed by BSP and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to promote cashless payments in marketplaces and local transportation.
This is also part of BSPโs strategies to broaden the acceptance of digital payments in every local government unit in the country.
Consumers can now scan QR codes of BSPโs partner digital payment channels like GCash, Maya, or Palawan Pay found in every stall at the market, which would direct them to a payment portal where they could transfer e-money from their account directly to the merchant.
BSP officials assured customers that by scanning the QR code, they avoid manual typing of merchant details during the fund transfer process, which could lead to the failure of transaction.
Oville said the Paleng-QR PH program is a game-changer as it fosters convenient, safer, and cost-effective transactions.
โPinaagi sa atoang QR Ph makabayad na ta sa ensaktong kantidad. Dili na ta magkalipong-lipong mangita og sinsilyo. Pinaagi (pod) sa pagbayad gamit ang QR PH malikayan ang posibleng pagkuyanap sa virus gumikan sa pagkupot sa physical cash especially kanang prone kaayo ang mga old money,โ Oville said.
(Through the QR Program, customers can pay the exact amount so vendors wonโt have any problems looking for change or coins. Aside from this, the QR PH also prevents the spread of virus which the old money is very prone with.)
Remollo also cited that it is essential for merchants in the market to embrace this technology.
โBecause of changes in technology, we have to adapt kay kon dili ta mo-adapt, mabiyaan ta (if we donโt adapt, we will get left behind),โ Remollo said.
The Paleng-QR PH will also be implemented in other sections of the market.
The BSP also launched the Paleng-QR PH at Dauin Mega Market on Sept. 24.
These markets were recipients of the free Wi-Fi project of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, which also contributed to the launching of Paleng-QR program in these locations. (RAL/PIA7-Negros Oriental)
