SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union (PIA) — To foster a more robust digital payments ecosystem, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) North Luzon Regional Office, in coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the city government of San Fernando in La Union, launched an information caravan on the Paleng-QR Ph Plus program in this city on July 8.
The Paleng-QR Ph program, jointly developed by BSP and DILG, aims to build the digital payments ecosystem in the country by promoting cashless payments in public markets and local transportation, particularly tricycles.
The use of “Plus” aims to capture the broader target market of the program to expand digital payment acceptance in every city and municipality in the country.
The program is in line with San Fernando City Ordinance No. 2024-01 and was attended by local market vendors, community shopkeepers, and tricycle operators and drivers associations.
Financial payment providers also joined, including GCash, Landbank, PayMaya, and GoTyme, to guide the public in registering their businesses using QR digital payments.
The program was supported by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) with its role in promoting digitalization and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) La Union in urging micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to go digital.
According to the BSP, the city has become the 71st local government unit in the Philippines to launch Paleng-QR Ph Plus.
This highlights the market’s significant contribution to the city’s economic recovery following the January 2024 fire.
Lawyer Noel Neil Malimban, BSP North Luzon regional director, underlined the necessity of digitalization in the city, namely online payments, which offer more than just convenience.
“The city understands the advantages [of cashless payments]. It is not just convenience, but also accountability and transparency; it also touches on governance. This is very important that the city understands it, and I am so proud,” Malimban said.
He also added that it is a big step in reducing red tape in governance, streamlining business processes, and making government transactions more convenient for everyone.
With the program, market vendors may now receive cashless payments via QR codes displayed on their stalls.
Merchants at the city market commended the city government and its partner agencies for ensuring an improvement in both the vendors and public market’s situation through its digitization initiatives.
“Dakkel nga tulong kanyami talaga, mostly kasi ay digital na ang mga payments namin. Hindi ka na pupunta sa Palawan Express. Hindi na inconvenient,” said Karina Benesa from Barangay Tanqui, a merchant at the city market.
(It really helps us a lot, mostly because our payments are now digital. You will no longer go to the Palawan Express. It is no longer inconvenient.)
Further, the BSP has extended support to ensure the successful implementation of the Paleng-QR Ph Plus Program in the city by providing technical assistance and conducting digital financial literacy sessions to expand citizens’ knowledge of digital payments and the maintenance of digital accounts. (AMB/SGR/PIA La Union)
