Calamba City rolls out Paleng-QR Ph Plus

Market vendors, business establishments, and public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers in the city of Calamba in Laguna may now benefit from Paleng-QR Ph Plus after the city launched the program at Mercado de Calamba on 20 November 2023.

The launching ceremony was led by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) South Luzon Regional Office Director Tomas J. Cariño and Executive Assistant to the City Mayor Rhyan Francia, who represented Calamba City Mayor Roseller H. Rizal.

A joint initiative of the BSP and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Paleng-QR Ph Plus promotes digital payments in public markets, transport hubs, and other business establishments using QR Ph.

Quick response or QR payments provide a safe, convenient, and efficient channel of making and receiving payments for both merchants and customers.

BSP Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, in a recorded message,  explained the added benefits of digital payments. “With digital transaction accounts, users can track their finances, reduce extra spending, and budget more effectively. Plus, these accounts open the door to other financial tools like insurance, investments, and savings.”

Mr. Francia, on behalf of Mayor Rizal, welcomed the collaboration among the BSP, DILG, and the Calamba local government unit. He said: “Maituturing nating isang malaking proyekto ang Paleng-QR Ph Plus na nakatuon sa kapakinabangan ng mga negosyante, pampublikong sasakyan, at mga konsyumer sa ating lungsod.”

A total of 476 vendors in the Mercado de Calamba and 10,000 tricycle drivers and operators were invited to join the program. More vendors and PUV drivers are expected to be onboarded with the ordinance from the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Calamba encouraging the use of digital payments.

Calamba City is the first local government unit in Laguna and the 14th in the Philippines to officially launch the Paleng-QR Ph Plus program, following the cities of Baguio, Davao, Tagbilaran, Naga, Lapu-Lapu, Pasig, Bacolod, Victorias, Mandaue, Ozamiz, Cotabato; and the towns of Camiling in Tarlac and Carmona in Cavite.

The nationwide program supports the central bank’s thrust to convert half of the total volume of retail payments in the country into digital form and to onboard 70 percent of Filipino adults to the formal financial system by this year under the BSP’s Digital Payments Transformation Roadmap 2020-2023.

Paleng-QR Ph Plus is one of the priority initiatives supporting the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2022-2028, which serves as the guiding framework for all stakeholders working together to accelerate financial inclusion in the country.

For more details on the Paleng-QR Ph Plus program, visit https://bit.ly/PalengQRph.