BSP recognizes outstanding stakeholders in Mindanao

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) recognized seven outstanding partner institutions of its Mindanao Regional Office (MRO) and Branches during the 2023 Outstanding BSP Stakeholders Appreciation Ceremony (OBSAC) held on 05 December 2023 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Monetary Board Member Rosalia V. De Leon led the ceremony and expressed the BSP’s gratitude to its institutional partners, saying, “You helped the central bank fulfill its mandates to support our economy and to make lives better for our people.”

BSP Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, in a recorded message, cited the contributions of stakeholders as she said, “Financial experts, industry leaders, and community advocates—each one of you contributes uniquely, helping shape policies that stabilize and stimulate our economy.”

Since 2004, the BSP has been annually celebrating significant partnerships with institutions that have been instrumental in its pursuit of price stability, financial stability, and a safe and efficient payments and settlements system.

Partner institutions have also been recognized for bolstering the BSP’s advocacies on financial inclusion, financial education, sustainable finance, and proper handling of banknotes and coins.

The BSP commended the following stakeholders in Mindanao:

1. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region XIII for promoting financial literacy and wellbeing of its employees through mandatory participation in their Financial Literary Seminar.
2. Philippine Science High School, Zamboanga Peninsula Region Campus for actively engaging their students, faculty, and staff, as well as the broader community in projects and programs on financial inclusion and education.
3. Department of Education – Misamis Oriental Division for championing financial education in their workforce through the conduct of a series of Financial Education Webinar Sessions. These webinars reached over 700 teaching and non-teaching staff all over Misamis Oriental.
4. National Economic and Development Authority Regional Office XIII for providing the BSP with valuable economic data and information that are integral to the formulation of economic reports and updates in the region. Moreover, the agency promoted financial inclusion in their regional development plans and to the Caraga Regional Development Council.
5. Ministry of Trade, Investments and Tourism – Maguindanao Provincial Office for actively supporting the BSP MRO and Cotabato Branch in the conduct of information dissemination sessions, especially in the remote areas in Maguindanao, on financial literacy and education, consumer protection, and Know Your Money, among others.
6. City Government of Davao for accelerating the implementation of the Paleng-QR Ph Plus program in the city, enjoining market vendors, local public transportation, and business establishments to adopt digital payments. The local government unit of Davao conducted consultations with various stakeholders and partners, involved the BSP in committee hearings, and spearheaded the logistics and security preparations for the launch of the Paleng-QR Ph Plus.
7. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) for providing the BSP with relevant regional data and information for the 2022 Report of Regional Economic Developments in BARMM. Moreover, the MAFAR website, MAFAR-Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division’s Facebook page, and reports/publications are relevant sources for the BSP’s Monthly Inflation Dynamics Report.

Earlier this year, the BSP recognized outstanding partners of its Head Office, as well as South Luzon, North Luzon, and Visayas Regional Offices and Branches. The OBSAC in Mindanao is the last leg of the recognition rites for 2023.