CARMONA, Cavite – The local government unit (LGU) here led the rollout of Paleng-QR Ph Plus in South Luzon at the Carmona Public Market on Friday, June 2, the first local government in the region to adopt digital payment in its wet markets.

The ceremony was led by Mayor Dahlia A. Loyola, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) 4A Assistant Regional Director Noel R. Bartolabac, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) South Luzon Regional Office Director Tomas J. Cariño Jr., BSP Financial Inclusion Office Director Ellen Joyce Suficiencia, and local officials.

Officials of Carmona LGU, BSP, and DILG unveil the Paleng-QR Ph Plus QR Code (Carla Bauto Deña/MANILA BULLETIN)

Also present were representatives of participating financial service providers, Landbank, and GCash.

A joint venture of BSP and DILG, Paleng-QR Ph Plus maximizes the use of digital payments in markets and tricycle hubs.

In her speech, Loyola said the adoption of the cashless payment program only proves that Carmona is ready to be a smart city. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to hold a plebiscite for the conversion of the municipality into a component city on July 8.

“Panahon na para tayo ay mag-level up. Ito po ang hinigingi ng ating panahon. At makakasiguro ho kayo na ang ibinabayad sa inyo ay safe… Ito po ay diretso sa inyong account, kaya kayo po ay ‘wag mag-alala, (It’s time for us to level up. This is what the times ask of us. You can be assured that the payment to you is safe… It will be received directly in your account, so don’t worry),” Loyola said.

Citizens' openness to technological advancement

To encourage small business owners to register in the program, the LGU passed Municipal Ordinance 06-2023, which provides a P2,000-incentive to every business that will adopt Paleng-QR Ph Plus as an alternative mode of payment.

Mayor Dahlia A. Loyola making a ceremonial cashless purchase from a stall in Carmona Public Market (Carla Bauto Deña/MANILA BULLETIN)

Loyola said around 10 percent of registered small businesses have already registered in the program before its launch and this number is expected to rise in the coming days.

“Ako’y naniniwalang ito ay ie-embrace ng maraming taga-Carmona. Kami dito sa lokal na pamahalaan, 'pag nag-start kami nang program, kahit iilan ang sasama dito, magi-initiate kami, aarangkada kami (I believe that many residents of Carmona will embrace this. We, in the local government, when we start a program, even if there are only few participants, we initiate it and we accelerate it),” the mayor said.

“Kaya sa dulo, 'pag nakita ng taong bayan na maganda ang programang ito, marami ang sasakay sa bangka (In the end, when residents appreciate the program, many of them will join).”

More wet market shoppers prefer cashless transactions

Glory May Andrade, a vendor at the Carmona Public Market, said she joined Paleng-QR Ph Plus because of its practical benefits.

“'Nung nag-pandemic kasi, ranas na namin 'yung mga online payments, malaking tulong talaga siya sa negosyo. At saka 'yung iba kasi, wala ng dalang cash. Mas preferred nila 'yung online payment (During the pandemic, we accepted online payments, it was a great help to our business. And some shoppers do not bring cash anymore. They prefer online payment),” she told the Manila Bulletin.

Glory May Andrade arranges goods in her stall at the Carmona Public Market (Carla Bauto Deña/MANILA BULLETIN)

Andrade said there are days when they receive more online payments than cash payments.

“Hindi ka na manunukli kasi sakto na ‘yung ise-send sa’yo eh. Super convenient kasi yan, sasabihin mo na lang i-scan…  at saka minsan, pag nakita nila, sasabihin nila, ‘Ay dito tayo, may GCash dito' (You wouldn’t have to give change anymore because they will send you the exact amount. It is super convenient, you will just ask them to scan. And sometimes, when they see it, they say, ‘Let’s go here, they have GCash').”