Samal city: Cashless payments are now closer to Island Garden City of Samal consumers and vendors with the launch of the Paleng-QR Ph Plus at the Babak Public Market on Thursday.

According to Philippines News Agency, the city government said that Mayor Lemuel Reyes and Vice Mayor Richard Guindolman personally checked the QR codes posted in the market and tried the system themselves, demonstrating how digital payments can make everyday transactions easy, safe and convenient. "The Paleng-QR Ph Plus Program may now be used in Babak Public Market, bringing a safer, faster, and more convenient cashless payment option closer to market vendors and consumers in the Island Garden City of Samal," the statement reads.

The rollout at the Babak Public Market marks another step in the city government's efforts to promote financial inclusion, digitalization, and more efficient business transactions while providing consumers with additional payment options. The Paleng-QR Ph Plus is a joint initiative of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government that promotes the use of digital payments among market vendors, small merchants, and transport operators.

"It allows businesses to accept cashless payments through a standardized and interoperable QR code that can be accessed using participating mobile banking applications and e-wallets," the city government added. The initiative follows the city government's earlier engagement with the BSP Davao Regional Office in June 2026, when the Paleng-QR Ph Plus Program was introduced to Samal City. The city government welcomed the program and expressed its commitment to working with the BSP and partner agencies toward its implementation.

"With the launch, market vendors and consumers in Babak are encouraged to embrace digital payment solutions as the city continues to move toward a more digitally connected, inclusive, and modern local economy," the statement reads.