By Hilda Austria
CALASIAO, Pangasinan – The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) recognized 18 outstanding stakeholders in Northern Luzon on Tuesday for their invaluable support in financial education and promotion.
Among the awardees were China Banking Corporation – Baguio – La Trinidad Cash Center; Land Bank of the Philippines branches in Batac, Ilocos Norte, Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija, Dagupan in Pangasinan, San Fernando City in La Union, Tuguegarao Capitol in Cagayan; and Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co, also in Dagupan.
Also given awards were the Rang-ay Bank, Inc., Cooperative Development Authority – Central Luzon; Department of Information and Communications Technology-Cagayan Valley; Department of Trade and Industry provincial offices in Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Cagayan Valley; Bankers Association of Laoag City and Ilocos Norte, Inc.; and La Union Bankers Association-University of Saint Louis, Tuguegarao.
Similarly, the city government of Cabanatuan and the provincial government of Pangasinan were recognized and named as outstanding partners of the BSP head office.
“Agriculture teaches us a simple rule: You reap what you sow, and this is exactly what our awardees have done across Northern Luzon. First, you keep our money trustworthy. This is a seed of trust,” BSP Monetary Board member Walter Wassmer said in his speech.
Secondly, he said the awardees bring financial education and access closer to the people, which he described as the “seed of inclusion,” initiating outreach caravans and simple savings options for families, cooperatives, and small businesses.
He also lauded the awardees for opening the doors to digital participation, hailing it as the “seed of innovation.”
“From free market Wi-Fi to the launch of Palengke QR-PH Plus and expanded digital banking services, your efforts help communities and barangays join the digital community,” Wassmer said.
BSP Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, in an interview, thanked the stakeholders such as banks, private institutions, and the Bankers Association of the Philippines, among others, for helping fulfill BSP’s mandate.
“For it can’t just be the BSP. With them, they help us with the cash service, promoting digital payments and financial education,” she said. (PNA)
