Samal City has launched Paleng-QR Ph Plus at Babak Public Market, bringing cashless payment options to vendors and consumers in the Island Garden City of Samal.

Mayor Lemuel Reyes and Vice Mayor Richard Guindolman checked the QR codes posted around the market and tried the system themselves at Thursday’s launch, according to the city government.

Paleng-QR Ph Plus is a joint programme of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government that promotes digital payments among market vendors, small merchants and transport operators.

It lets businesses accept cashless payments through a standardised, interoperable QR code that customers can use via participating mobile banking apps and e-wallets.

The rollout follows Samal City’s engagement with BSP’s Davao Regional Office in June 2026, when the programme was first introduced to the city.

City officials said the launch supports their broader push toward financial inclusion, digitalisation and more efficient business transactions.

Samal City joins a growing list of Philippine cities and municipalities that have adopted Paleng-QR Ph Plus, including Quezon City, Tuguegarao and Botolan, as part of the nationwide rollout of the BSP-DILG programme.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Philippines based on images by Magnific, skillsdotcom10 and user5027847 via Magnific.