We are living through the most transformative era in financial services. At the center of this evolution is cognitive banking – a powerful blend of artificial intelligence, behavioral science and real-time analytics that creates hyper-personalized, intuitive and human-centered financial experiences.
It is no longer enough to deliver banking that’s “smart.” It has to be deeply responsive – anticipating needs before they arise, guiding financial decisions with empathy and embedding services into the daily lives of every Filipino. Whether it’s intelligent credit scoring, proactive fraud detection, or MSME financing that understands seasonal income patterns, cognitive banking does not just follow the trends – it defines them.
But this intelligence cannot grow in isolation. As digital borders fade and economic interconnectivity becomes the norm, we must realize one urgent truth: collaboration is no longer optional – it is the new currency of progress. And for the Philippines to fully harness the power of cognitive banking, we must think and build beyond local shores.
We are already seeing this vision take shape. Participation in global forums like Money 20/20 Asia is not just about presence – it’s about influence. At the summit in Bangkok, we engaged with the world’s most daring fintech leaders, sparked dialogues that challenge the status quo, and shared how Philippine banks like RCBC are building intelligent ecosystems through API-led platforms.
In API Days Singapore, we shared how RCBC is deploying one of the region’s most advanced digital infrastructures, aligned with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) Digital Marketplace framework, which, I believe, is a first in the ASEAN region. This regulatory model encourages banks and fintech players to co-create safe, open and secure platforms – enabling customers to access loans, savings, insurance, investments and even e-commerce and telehealth, all in one place.
This is what the future looks like: banking embedded into everyday life, powered by collaboration, governed by progressive policy and built on trust.
Our participation in the UK-Southeast Asia Tech Week 2025 further reaffirmed this trajectory. Under the theme “Bridging boundaries, building a resilient, innovative and inclusive tech ecosystem,” the UK Government and Fintech Alliance Philippines signed a landmark strategic partnership – signaling deeper bilateral collaboration in cybersecurity, skills development and innovation financing.
This wasn’t just a diplomatic gesture. It was a blueprint for long-term cooperation. Alongside Kickstart Ventures, the UK launched the Tech Growth Programme, connecting British startups to Philippine innovation capital via the ACTIVE Fund – our largest VC fund to date.
Australia, too, is expanding its fintech ties with the Philippines. In March, the Australian Tech Innovation Mission visited RCBC’s CollHub in BGC, with BSP Deputy Governor Mert Tangonan providing key regulatory insight. The dialogue spanned AI innovation, digital identity and cross-border financial services. The momentum is clear: the world is taking notice of Philippine fintech.
But even as we open doors to opportunity, we must also defend them. That’s why cybersecurity must be a shared imperative. The Canadian Embassy’s Cybersecurity Forum in Manila helped advance partnerships in cyber hygiene, threat sharing and digital trust frameworks – areas where Canada brings formidable experience, and where the Philippines must continue to invest.
These engagements are not symbolic. They’re strategic. They signal that Philippine fintech is no longer operating on the sidelines of global innovation—it is stepping onto center stage.
The P18.4 billion investment by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) into GCash, through its affiliate MUFG Bank Ltd., is one of the most significant foreign direct investments into a Philippine fintech company to date – and it carries enormous strategic weight. That same global lens guided RCBC’s partnership with South Korean firm Cashmallow, which launched cardless ATM withdrawals for travelers from Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong using just a QR code – bridging fintech and tourism in a seamless, inclusive service.
And at the heart of these breakthroughs is co-creation. That principle powered the launch of the Business Co-creation Dojo (DOJO MNL) – a pioneering initiative with Japan’s $200 million SMBC Asia Rising Fund. Held at RCBC’s CollHub, DOJO MNL brought together regulators, founders, VCs and developers to incubate AI-powered solutions for payroll, microloans, loyalty, fraud prevention and more. This is fintech not just for scale, but for good.
Why does this matter? Because insight is the most valuable currency in today’s data-rich world. And data without insight is noise. By immersing ourselves in global discourse, we refine our ideas, sharpen our strategy, and unlock imagination.
It’s time to embrace coopetition – a model where we compete by collaborating. In this model, every new alliance, joint venture and regulatory sandbox becomes a testing ground for what’s possible.
We must also embrace acceleration. Being early matters. When you sit at the edge of innovation – when you join the conversations that shape policy, standards and infrastructure – you don’t just adapt to the future. You build it.
And that future is borderless.
Just consider the approximately 4.6 million Filipinos in the United States and over 957,000 in Canada – professionals, entrepreneurs and workers contributing not just remittances, but also global expertise and digital fluency. Their total remittances amounted to over $38.34 billion in 2024, representing about 7.7 percent of the Philippines’ GDP. They are not just senders of money; they are pioneers of fintech demand and worthy participants in our digital transformation.
We must design products, services and platforms that connect them back home – not just financially, but emotionally and economically. And we must do it with speed, empathy and vision.
This is how we accelerate the Philippine fintech industry’s global relevance. This is how we catalyze cognitive banking that is intelligent and inclusive. And this is how we build a future where every Filipino – no matter where they are in the world – can access financial services that understand, empower, and uplift them.
The path forward is clear.
Cognitive banking without borders. Collaboration as infrastructure. Inclusion as our shared goal. Let us not waste this momentum.?Let us build a future that is bold, borderless and deeply Filipino.
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Lito Villanueva is the Philippines’ leading and award-winning thought leader in inclusive digital finance. As EVP and chief innovation and inclusion officer at RCBC, he has led several digital initiatives at scale.