The City of Alaminos in Pangasinan has joined local government units (LGUs) that have adopted the “Paleng-QR Ph Plus” program to promote digital payments in public markets, public utility vehicles (PUVs), and business establishments.
Alaminos City Mayor Arth Bryan C. Celeste and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) North Luzon Regional Office (NLRO) Regional Director Noel Neil Q. Malimban led the program’s launch at the city’s SUKI Market last December 6, 2023.
The program encourages the use of Quick Response (QR) PH to make and receive payments
A joint initiative of the BSP and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the program encourages the use of Quick Response (QR) Ph, the national standard for QR code technology that provides a safe, convenient, and efficient way of making and receiving payments for merchants and customers.
BSP NLRO Regional Director Malimban welcomed the collaborative undertaking among the BSP, DILG, and city government that allows the citizens of Alaminos to enjoy digitalization further.
Nearly 700 market vendors and over 3,600 tricycle drivers have joined the Paleng-QR Ph Plus program in the city. With the issuance of an ordinance encouraging digital payments, more vendors and PUV drivers in Alaminos are expected to get onboard in the program.
The nationwide program supports the BSP’s thrust to convert half of the total volume of retail payments in the country into digital form and to onboard 70 per cent of Filipinos to the formal financial system by this year under the BSP’s Digital Payments Transformation Roadmap 2020-2023.
The Paleng-QR Ph Plus is one of the priority programs under the BSP’s National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI) 2022-2028, the guiding framework for all stakeholders working together to accelerate financial inclusion in the country.
On the sidelines of the Paleng-QR Ph Plus launch, the BSP Dagupan Branch also offered currency exchange services in the public market to encourage the public to replace their unfit banknotes and coins with digital cash.
The “BSP Piso Caravan” currency exchange program aligns with the central bank’s commitment to preserve the integrity of Philippine currency and promote digital payments to bolster financial inclusion.
Unfit banknotes are dirty, soiled, limp, stained, or have faded print and obvious writings. Unfit coins are those with corrosion or markings.
For more information on the Piso Caravan and other public information campaigns in North Luzon, contact the BSP NLRO at email address reas-nlro@bsp.gov.ph
For more details on the Paleng-QR Ph Plus program, visit https://bit.ly/PalengQRph.Back
