By Nimfa L. Estrellado-Laurino BSP Lucena City Branch Area Director Alvin L. Bermido discusses Lucena’s Paleng-QR rollout with host Cecille ...
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| BSP Lucena City Branch Area Director Alvin L. Bermido discusses Lucena’s Paleng-QR rollout with host Cecille Cambe Maloles during Kapihan sa PIA Quezon. (PIA Quezon) |
LUCENA CITY, Quezon — Lucena will formally launch Paleng-QR Ph Plus on August 17 to widen cashless payment access among market vendors, small merchants and local transport operators. Through QR Ph codes displayed by participating merchants and operators, customers may pay using compatible bank or e-wallet accounts without handling cash.
PIA Quezon’s Cecille Cambe Maloles hosted the recent Kapihan sa PIA Quezon at Pacific Mall, where BSP Lucena Branch Area Director Alvin L. Bermido announced the schedule. The forum did not establish the exact launch venue or identify the financial service providers expected to join Lucena’s opening activity.
The BSP and Department of the Interior and Local Government created Paleng-QR Ph Plus through a joint memorandum circular signed on June 21, 2022. Local governments organize merchant onboarding, financial institutions provide account assistance and printed QR codes, while national agencies deliver technical guidance and financial-literacy support.
Internet coverage emerged as a major operational concern because merchants cannot sustain daily digital transactions in market areas where mobile signals remain weak or unavailable. Members of the media asked how the program would function during service interruptions, particularly when vendors and customers conduct transactions throughout busy trading hours.
Bermido said connectivity concerns had prompted coordination beyond the BSP Lucena Branch as agencies prepared for the city’s scheduled rollout. He identified reliable mobile service as an implementation requirement that must accompany merchant enrollment and public acceptance of cashless payments.
“Isa sa mga hamon ang connectivity dahil magiging epektibo lamang ang programa kung may malakas na signal,” ani Bermido habang tinatalakay ang inaasahang operasyon sa mga pampublikong pamilihan. “Nakipag-ugnayan na ang BSP sa DICT sa mataas na antas upang matugunan ang mga mahihinang signal at dead spot sa mga pampublikong pamilihan.”
Vendor readiness presented another concern because some merchants and transport operators may have limited experience accepting payments through digital financial accounts. Reporters asked whether technical guidance would end after the formal launch or continue once participants begin using the system during regular operations.
“Bago ilunsad ang Paleng-QR, nagsasagawa kami ng financial literacy talks o briefing para sa mga vendor sa palengke at mga TODA upang handa sila at hindi mabigla,” ani Bermido. “Patuloy din ang aming suporta sa mga kalahok na vendor matapos ang pormal na paglulunsad, lalo na kung mayroon silang mga tanong tungkol sa programa.”
Paleng-QR relies on QR Ph, the national standard connecting payments across participating banks and e-wallet providers through one interoperable network. Buyers and merchants do not need accounts from the same provider, provided that both financial services support QR Ph transactions.
Merchants must open a QR Ph-ready account with a participating financial service provider before receiving customer payments through the system. Successful transactions will also depend on proper account activation, reliable internet connectivity and the continued availability of services from the chosen provider.
Possible transaction costs accompanied media questions about the account requirements and payment procedures that merchants would encounter under the program. Bermido said qualifying small merchants could receive Paleng-QR payments without transfer charges, although the exemption does not cover every category of digital transaction.
BSP Memorandum M-2026-025, which implements Circular No. 1238, provides zero fees for qualifying small-merchant payments while allowing fair and justifiable pricing for other electronic transfers. Banks and e-wallet providers may therefore impose applicable charges on transactions outside the specific payment category covered by the BSP exemption.
Payment disputes formed part of the same consumer-protection discussion, covering failed transactions, delayed transfers and amounts sent to incorrect accounts. Customers must first report a problem to their financial service provider and secure a reference number before escalating an unresolved complaint to the BSP.
Complaints may be filed through the BSP Online Buddy when the provider’s internal response remains delayed, incomplete or otherwise unsatisfactory. Other available channels include email, telephone, postal mail and personal assistance at the nearest BSP branch or regional office.
Cashless payments formed the central subject of the forum, but the discussion later broadened to the continued circulation of physical currency. The shift allowed the BSP to clarify how polymer notes will coexist with familiar paper banknotes as digital payment use expands nationwide.
Bermido said the BSP had not announced a deadline for withdrawing paper banknotes featuring Filipino heroes from circulation throughout the country. Paper and polymer versions remain legal tender as long as the banknotes are genuine, recognizable and reasonably fit for public use.
The polymer series currently includes the ₱1,000, ₱500, ₱100 and ₱50 denominations under the BSP’s expanded national banknote program. These banknotes contain security and tactile features, resist water and dirt, and are designed to remain usable longer than conventional paper notes.
As of July 31, the BSP listed 1,566 local government units as participating in or formally enjoined to adopt Paleng-QR Ph Plus nationwide. Lucena’s initial merchant count remains unannounced, leaving the actual reach of its first-day rollout to be established after the August 17 launch.
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