Economic uncertainty and digital payment infrastructureAn attendant updates the fuel prices at a gasoline station in Cubao, Quezon City on March 17, 2026, following a staggered hike in prices of oil companies nationwide due to the Middle East conflict. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data show that in 2025, digital payments accounted for 72 percent of payments made by individuals. The Philippines built one of Southeast Asia’s most active digital payments ecosystems in the last decade. That thing QR Ph is good, it introduced interoperable digital payments, standardized QR code across banks and e-wallets covering all from micro-small-medium enterprises (MSMEs). Digital payments help improve the efficiency of the broader economy by making financial transactions move quicker and safer, more transparent.

Source: Philippine Star March 18, 2026 16:44 UTC