Mandaue, Lapu starts to go cashless

BUSINESS establishments in the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu have initiated efforts to provide customers the option for digital transactions and cashless payments.

In Mandaue City, around 60 stalls at the Mandaue City Public Market have started accepting payments through Gcash.

In a report provided by the Mandaue City Public Information Office on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, the effort to require market stall owners at the city’s public market to go cashless began in August this year.

This was in response to the call of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for government offices and adjacent services to become cashless as a way to embrace digitization.

In Lapu-Lapu City, business establishments are now required to provide options to their customers whether to pay in cash or through digital means.

The Lapu-Lapu City Council on Friday, Oct. 7, approved on final reading an ordinance implementing the Paleng-QR PH program of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and DILG.

According to BSP’s website, the program aims to build digital payments ecosystem in the country by promoting cashless payments in public markets and local transportation, particularly tricycles.

Under Lapu-Lapu City’s newly-approved ordinance, business establishments, including market vendors, community shopkeepers, and tricycles, are mandated to maintain and make available to their patrons, customers, buyer, passengers and clients the option of paying through digital or alternative mode of payment.

Authored by City Councilor Annabeth Cuizon and co-authored by Councilor Climaco Tatoy Jr., the ordinance, however, clarified that nothing prohibits the payment in cash when chosen by the clients.

Several city departments including the Business Permit and Licensing Office, the City Treasurer’s Office, and the City Market Office and the Information Technology Office will implement the said ordinance in accordance with BSP and DILG’s requirements.

The said ordinance will take effect 15 days after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation.