• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Cadiz City in Negros Occidental joined July 18 the PalengQR-Ph Plus program joint initiative of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
The launching kicked off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by the program demonstration, attended by Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr., city and BSP officials and representatives, and other stakeholders.
Escalante thanked the stakeholders for their efforts in bringing the PalengQR-Ph Plus to Cadiz City.
He emphasized the city’s readiness to embrace the digital world. “Cadiz is ready. This will benefit the people we pledge to serve.”
The PalengQR-Ph Plus aims to build the digital payments ecosystem in the country by promoting cashless payments in public markets and local transportation, particularly tricycles, the BSP said.
Capitalizing on the QR Ph initiative, the program seeks the policy championship and enjoins local government units (LGUs) to push for the acceptance of digital payments among market vendors, community shopkeepers, and tricycle operators and drivers (TODA) in all cities and municipalities in the country.
Cadiz is the third LGU in Negros Occidental to join the program, after Bacolod City and Victorias City in March and July last year, respectively.
The program is also set to be launched in the cities of Sipalay and Talisay.
The BSP said that since the Paleng-QR Ph was unveiled in 2022, some 100 LGUs have conducted launch activities or have issued policies in support of the program.
Cadiz Councilor John Vincent Escalante, meanwhile, commended the program as the future of business transactions and expressed the city’s readiness for innovation and future improvements.
BSP director for the Visayas Regional Office, Anna Clara Oville, highlighted the benefits of PalengQR-PH Plus in her speech, emphasizing the convenience, safety, and cost-effectiveness of digital transactions, along with protection against counterfeit money.
She noted that with more LGUs adopting the program, BSP is paving the way for a digital-driven ecosystem that fosters a more inclusive Philippine economy.
Expressions of support came from various national departments, including DILG Cluster head Evelyn Vista, DICT Negros Occidental officer-in-charge Gariel Legislador, and Engr. Eigenmar Tupas of the Department of Trade and Industry, the city said in a press release.
A video message from BSP governor Eli Remolona Jr. also underscored the innovations and adaptability of Filipinos toward national progress.
The event also featured the turnover of the DTI Consumer Corner, and was attended by Vice Mayor Lilia Decolongon, councilors Lalen Lamis, Kathrina Kaye Gustilo-Balbin, Fria Cristine Cervantes-Napiza, Maricel Desuyo, and CJ Nido Olvido, department heads and representatives, market vendors associations, MSMEs, and TODAs representatives, along with financial service providers, that installed booths at the Cadiz City Public Market since July 16. | CGC
