Digital payments took center stage at this year’s “BIYAYA: Sustainable Living Festival 2026” as PalawanPay powered cashless transactions across the three-day event while highlighting how accessible financial tools can help Filipino micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) expand their businesses.
As the festival’s official e-wallet partner, PalawanPay enabled merchants and visitors to pay through QRPh Scan-to-Pay, giving participating businesses a simple way to accept digital payments while offering customers a faster checkout experience.
Held from July 17 to 19 at SM Megamall, BIYAYA gathered sustainability advocates, social enterprises, entrepreneurs, and community organizations to promote responsible business practices and innovation that create positive social impact.
Lilian Castro-Selda (left), CFO of the Palawan Group of Companies, and Rich Watanabe (second from right), Founder of the Coffee Heritage Project and BIYAYA Festival, join partners, guests, and award-winning local coffee farmers at the AVPA Awards.
For the Palawan Group of Companies, the partnership was an opportunity to demonstrate how digital financial services can go beyond convenience by helping more Filipinos, particularly small business owners, participate in the country’s growing digital economy.
“At Palawan Group, we believe that meaningful progress happens when Filipinos have greater access to tools and opportunities that allow them to participate and grow,” said Lilian Castro-Selda, Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of the Palawan Group of Companies.
“Our partnership with BIYAYA reflects the importance of collaboration in creating more connected communities, while digital solutions like PalawanPay help individuals and businesses embrace more convenient and inclusive ways of transacting,” she added.
Helping small businesses embrace cashless payments
Festival-goers used PalawanPay’s QRPh Scan-to-Pay for fast, secure, and seamless cashless transactions throughout BIYAYA 2026.
The company said supporting MSMEs remains a key focus of its digital payments strategy.
Through PalawanPay’s QRPh Scan-to-Pay feature, merchants can accept cashless payments while benefiting from an affordable merchant discount rate (MDR), helping lower transaction costs without requiring expensive payment infrastructure.
For many small businesses, the shift to digital payments is becoming less of an option and more of a business necessity as consumers increasingly expect multiple ways to pay.
Beyond payments: A broader financial ecosystem for entrepreneurs
Lilian Castro-Selda (center) and Bernard Kaibigan (right) join the Palawan team in showcasing the company’s digital financial solutions at BIYAYA 2026.
Beyond payment acceptance, the Palawan Group also showcased the broader range of financial services available to entrepreneurs.
MSMEs looking for working capital can tap Palawan Credit, while Palawan Express Pera Padala provides a convenient channel for sending supplier payments and managing cash transactions.
Business owners who need additional funds can also access financing through Palawan Pawnshop by leveraging gold and jewelry as collateral.
Together, these services are designed to support entrepreneurs throughout different stages of running a business — from managing daily operations to funding future growth.
Expanding financial inclusion through digital services
MSMEs at BIYAYA 2026 used PalawanPay’s digital payment solutions to provide customers with faster and more convenient cashless transactions.
The company said partnerships such as BIYAYA reflect its continuing push to make financial services more accessible to Filipinos through both physical branches and digital platforms.
PalawanPay is the digital wallet of the Palawan Group of Companies and serves more than 22 million users.
In addition to QRPh payments, the app offers domestic money transfers, bill payments, mobile load purchases, pawn renewal services, and access to other financial products within the Palawan ecosystem.
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