The City Government of Davao was named one of the Outstanding Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Stakeholders being the first local government unit in Mindanao, and the second in the Philippines, to formally adopt and implement the BSP PalengQR Plus Program.
City Economic Enterprise head Maximo Macalipes Jr., MPA, MPM in an interview with the City Information Office, said that he received the distinction on behalf of the city during the 2023 Outstanding BSP Stakeholders Appreciation Ceremony in Mindanao on December 5, 2023, at the Emerald I Ballroom, Limketkai Luxe Hotel, Cagayan de Oro.
Macalipes said that the city is beyond grateful for the recognition received.
“We are not just grateful but honored to receive this recognition from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. They have considered our beloved city to become one of the early adopters of the PalengQR Plus Ph program. Without their tenacity to partner with our beloved city, this program will not roll out in our Bankerohan, Toril, and Agdao Public markets,” Macalipes said.
He added that the PalengQR Program has greatly benefited the Dabawenyos.
“This system manifested the institutional objective of moving towards a digital economy across the country. It offered an opportunity to experience the convenience of using digital payments using their mobile devices,” Macalipes said.
The BSP recognized the city for ensuring the approval of the resolution adopting the PQR Plus PH in the third and final reading before the BSP’s scheduled launch date. Throughout the process, BSP also recognized the city’s unwavering support in conducting consultations with various stakeholders and partners and to involve the BSP in committee hearings for prompt clarifications on ambiguities.
The BSP added that the city also ensured seamless deliberations during council hearings and took charge of the logistics and security preparations for the launch.
“Post-launch, Davao City has remained actively involved, especially in monitoring the performance of the onboarded accounts,” the official statement of BSP reads.
It can be noted that the BSP, in partnership with the local government of Davao, and other national government agencies, launched the PalengQR PH in Bankerohan Public Market on November 23, 2022, in Agdao Public Market on July 11, 2023, in Toril Public Market on July 18, 2023, and in Calinan Public Market on July 26, 2023.
Macalipes said that the city is committed to ensuring that the program will be implemented properly in the city.
“We are working closely with the BSP in rolling out this system. It will continue with other public markets managed by the City Economic Enterprises with an inclination to expand to other CEE-managed and supervised facilities such as our street markets: the Roxas Avenue Street Market (Roxas Night Market) and the Road 1 Toril Street Market (Toril Night Market),” Macalipes said.
Through the PalengQR PH the use of cashless payment or QR codes as an additional option for buyers to pay for goods was pushed. Vendors, through the onboarding, were registered to eligible banks and electronic money providers.
During the series of launching events in various public markets, financial service providers were able to set up booths to accommodate merchants who were not yet able to open accounts.
QR codes that were printed and laminated by the BSP were also distributed to Bankerohan vendors.
PalengQR PH is aligned with “digitalization” as one of the 12 priority agendas of the current administration. CIO
