Baste urges Dabawenyos to try Paleng-QR Ph 

The launch of the Paleng-QR Ph in Bankerohan Public Market in Davao City indicates the city’s preparation to launch cashless shopping at public markets.

Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) governor and Monetary Board chair Dr. Felipe Medalla, and BSP deputy governor for Regional Operations and Advocacy Sector Bernadette Romulo-Puyat led the Davao City launching of the Paleng-QR Ph at Bankerohan Public Market on Wednesday.

The launch was attended by officials and representatives of the city government of Davao, BSP-Davao, vendors, various Financial Services Providers (FSPs) that include Gcash, Maya, StarPay, Diskartech; and banks that include Asia United Bank, Landbank of the Philippines, and Rizal Commercial Banking Corporations (RCBC).

Davao City is the first local government unit (LGU) in Mindanao that adopted the “digi-palengke” system.

In his message, Mayor Baste urged the Dabawenyos to try using Paleng-QR Ph whenever they go to the market or ride the tricycles.

“Sa tinuod lang kung mugawas ta sa Pilipinas particularly sa Singapore ug China kasagaran mga develop countries paperless na sila ug wala na sila gadala ug sinsilyo ug papel na kuwarta. Hangyo nako sa inyuha basin puwede ninyo suwayan kay ngano wala man pud ni pugsanay. Kung wala mo kahibalo ang inyong buhaton tawga lang ang inyong anak unya patudlo mo unsaon ning QR kay ang mga batan-on karon kabalo gyud na sila unsaon paggamit aning mga QR,” Mayor Baste said.

He said these innovations using technology are the things that will make the lives of Dabawenyos easier.

“Unsa ni makatabang sa atoa? Tan-awa ning Davao City labi natong dugay na kaayo diri, luag pata sa una, daghan nagasulod ug naay oportunidad makanegosyo ug makatrabaho ka pero nagkaguot ug nagkaguot na karon unya ang problema nato ang mga transactions nato within Davao City are very centralized na,” he said.

Modernizing the city through technology is one of the things he mentioned in his inaugural speech.

The Paleng-QR Ph program, jointly developed by the BSP and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), aims to build the digital payments ecosystem in the country by promoting cashless payments in public markets and local transportation, particularly tricycles.

Medalla is hoping that Davao City will be the launching pad for the series of launchings of the Paleng-QR program in Mindanao.

“I would like to commend Davao City for setting a standard for good governance in innovation,” he said.

Medalla is optimistic that this program will be a success in Davao City following the approval of the City Council of the ordinance “Enjoining All Business Establishments within Davao City to adopt QR PH (Quick Response Philippines) Digital Payments” in line with the Paleng-QR.ph Program sponsored by Councilor Bernard Al-ag on Tuesday.

“When this project was introduced ang tanong ko, will this be beneficial to the vendors and consumers? Ang sagot nila is yes and that is why I did not hesitate to craft a policy to institute and implement this project in Davao City. This will surely help the MSMEs. The national government and the city government must do more projects to support the maliliit na mga negosyante,” Al-ag said.

Al-ag said this in conjunction with the 12 key priority areas of the Duterte Program, the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 (RA 11032), and the Electronic Commerce Act of 2000 (RA 8792).

In his speech, Vice Mayor Melchor Quitain Jr. said the program fits the bill in line with digitalization.

“Innovation has changed our banking system forever. At first, people are skeptical. Suddenly people are tech-savvy. All of these technical innovations are accepted by the people. Now we have the QR code system. If not for the BSP I don’t think anybody can come up with a full system like Paleng-QR,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bankerohan fruit vendor Grace Wenceslao has started accepting Gcash payments from her customers.

“Mas dali na sa akoa ug dili na nako kinahanglan mangambyu ug mangita ug pangkambyu ug sinsilyo,” she said.

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