Leaders from government and the private sector, including the mobile wallet GCash, gathered at the 2025 Manila Tech Summit to discuss advancements in digital transformation.

The summit, themed “Forging a New Global Order: Risks and Opportunities Redefined,” explored how technology can create more digitally inclusive societies.

In his keynote address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reported that the country’s digital sector grew to PHP 2.25 trillion last year, generating 11.3 million jobs.

He stated that while this is a positive development, “there is much room for growth”, and confirmed that the government is building more internet infrastructure and free WiFi sites to advance the country’s digital capabilities.

Representing GCash, Oscar Enrico “Ren-Ren” Reyes, Jr., president and CEO of G-Xchange, Inc., spoke on building secure “digital rails” to provide inclusive access to financial services.

“At GCash, we believe innovation only matters when it reaches the many, not the few, because nation-building is inclusive,” Reyes stated.

Company representatives detailed how GCash’s services extend beyond payments to include savings, insurance, and investments. Tony Isidro, president and CEO of GCash’s lending arm, Fuse Financing Inc., discussed their approach to fair lending.

He explained that their in-house trust scoring system, GScore, uses alternative data like in-app transactions to provide financing to borrowers without traditional credit histories.

He also highlighted GLoan Sakto, a small loan product designed to serve users who may be considered ‘high risk’ by traditional lenders.

GCash also emphasised its focus on user security, with its Chief Information Security Officer, Miguel Geronilla, discussing the deployment of the latest technology and collaboration with other institutions to ensure cybersecurity for its users.

Featured image by MontriThipsorn via Freepik.