The City of San Fernando has officially launched the Paleng-QR Ph Plus initiative to encourage digital payment transactions across public markets, public utility vehicles, and local businesses.
Photo shows BSP Regional Operations Sub-sector Managing Director Rosabel B. Guerrero (third from left) together with Reggie David (fifth from left), City of San Fernando Councilor, as he successfully pays using QR Ph at the New Market City Plaza in San Fernando, Pampanga. Joining them are (from left:) City Market Administrator Roy Pasumbal, City Information Communications Technology Officer Atty. James Francis S. Villanueva, BSP Deputy Director Mark Jason A. Cagalingan, and market vendor Norie Corpuz.
The launch event, which was held last May 27, 2024, at the New Market City Plaza, was spearheaded by Mayor Vilma B. Caluag and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Regional Operations Sub-sector Managing Director Rosabel B. Guerrero.
In a press release, BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr. underscored the transformative impact of the program, saying, “By using QR Ph codes in daily payment transactions, business owners and their customers can expand their digital financial footprint. This will give them access to a wider range of financial services such as credit, savings, insurance, and investment,” he stated.
Mayor Caluag, for her part, urged the citizens of San Fernando, known as Fernandinos, to adopt QR Ph codes for everyday transactions. “Para may magamit na tayo kapag sumasakay tayo sa tricycle o kahit bumibili tayo sa palengke, puwede na tayo makapagbayad nang hindi na nangangailangan magdala ng cash,” she encouraged.
BSP Managing Director Guerrero highlighted the significance of the program, noting that its adoption is a major step towards digital advancement and inclusivity for the city. The initiative follows an ordinance passed by the local government in March 2024, which promotes the use of QR Ph digital payments.
“Paleng-QR Ph Plus is one of the BSP’s ways to promote financial inclusion and uphold the interest of financial consumers,” Guerrero explained.
A joint effort between the BSP and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Paleng-QR Ph Plus aims to facilitate cashless payments through QR Ph, the national standard for quick response codes. This initiative is a key component of the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2022-2028.
Additionally, the BSP collaborated with member banks of the Ciudad San Fernando Bankers Association and e-money issuers to conduct the “Piso Caravan.”
This program enabled residents to exchange unfit banknotes and coins for fit currency or electronic money, supporting the BSP’s Clean Note and Coin Policy and ensuring the integrity of the Philippine currency.
For more information on the Piso Caravan and other BSP North Luzon public information campaigns, contact reas-nlro@bsp.gov.ph. Further details on the Paleng-QR Ph Plus program can be found at Paleng-QR Ph Plus.