Editor’s note: This content is sponsored by GCash and was produced by BrandRap, the sales and marketing arm of Rappler. No member of the news and editorial team participated in the publishing of this piece. 

“Suki, pwede GCash?”

You might start hearing that in palengkes around the Metro from now on with the NCR rollout of PalengQR PH Plus in one of the biggest wet markets in the Philippines.

In collaboration with GCash, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) have now implemented PalengQR PH Plus in Pasig City Mega Market to champion financial inclusion. 

The moment you enter the sprawling mega market, you’ll see QR codes displayed and strung up on vendor tables and stalls – from the seafood section to karinderyas. From there, you can simply pay for your next palengke run solely through GCash. Yup, no need for messy banknotes back and forths!

Pasig is the first NCR city to implement PalengQR PH Plus, following the footsteps of Baguio City Public Market, Davao City’s Bankerohan Public Market, Tagbilaran’s Dao Public Market, Libertad Public Market in Bacolod, Lapu Lapu City Public Market, and the People’s Market in Naga City.

To further their mission of financial security for all, GCash also held financial literacy sessions for the vendors to build the habit of using cashless transactions. They also introduced the app’s money management options such as GSave, GInsure, and GLoans to the vendors.

But why stop at mega markets? BSP, DILG, and GCash plan to roll out the PalengQR Plus PH to more commerce centers in Pasig such as sari-sari stores and local TODAS (Tricycle Operators and Drivers’ Association) to uplift their livelihood with technology.

“With GCash, we started initially sa mga malls, we started with big merchants. But now we understand our role, if we really want more Filipinos to adopt digital payment, we know that we have to go to this sector, ‘yung mga palengke vendors natin, TODA drivers natin. Even ‘yung mga micro and small businesses around the area,” said GCash’s Associate VP for Public Sector and Partnerships, Cathlyn Pavia. 

[GCash initially started in malls and with big merchants. But now we understand that if we want more Filipinos to adopt digital payments, we have to go to the sector of the market vendors, tricycle drivers, and even the micro and small businesses around the area.]

With Pasig first making the wave, it won’t be long before you’ll see more GCash and PalengQR Plus PH projects popping up in your local markets, too. Grab your palengke bags, ready your QR Code readers, and prepare to go cash-lite! – Rappler.com