THE 20th City Council moved on Monday to defer the passage of Ordinance 2023-283 establishing the government’s ‘Paleng QR PH Plus’ program in Cagayan de Oro City, citing some reservations.
Vice Mayor Jocelyn Rodriguez said the program jointly developed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG) should be explained more thoroughly to the public preferably in the local language.
Councilor Ian Mark Nacaya questioned how the QR (quick reaction) PH code component is included in the government’s promotion of digital payments to the public.
Nacaya said that based on local experience during the Covid-19 pandemic, each local government has its own QR code, resulting in confusion among the public.
On their website, the BSP said the QR PH is an initiative by the BSP and the digital payments industry to promote the use of QR codes by establishing a national QR code standard for digital payments.
For his part, Councilor John Michael Seno questioned whether the use of digital payments can be mandated across the board since not everyone owns a touchscreen cell phone.
Still, Councilor Malvern Esparcia who voiced support for the ordinance authored by Councilor George Goking, said the program only provides consumers with the option to pay their transactions through e-cash.
The proposed ordinance would cover public market vendors, local merchants and even tricycle operators, and public transport operators.
During the session, the BSP voiced their support for the proposed local ordinance that would promote digital payments among market vendors and transport operators in Cagayan de Oro City.
BSP Area Director Olegario Magahin Jr. said they conducted a technical briefing on the ‘Paleng QR PH’ program to Mayor Rolando Uy in April as part of the national government’s efforts to promote digital payments to local governments across the country.
“Here in Cagayan de Oro, we’ve taken ‘mini-steps’ (to promote the Paleng QR PH program). We would like to thank Councilor George Goking and the council’s trade and commerce committee for taking the initiative (to champion the program) and we also acknowledge the various stakeholders that participated in the consultations headed by the committee,” Magahin said.
Magahin cited the Cogon Market Vendors Association, the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce, and Industry Foundation Inc. (Oro Chamber) as having joined the consultations.
“The (Department of Information Communications and Technology-10) promised to provide free Wi-Fi connectivity to the Cogon, Carmen, and Bulua public markets once we launch the Paleng QR PH program,” he said.
Magahin said they understand and support Cagayan de Oro City Hall’s move to initially launch the program to public market vendors before expanding its implementation to other sectors including local mass transport.
“We support this calibrated approach rather than a one-time, big-time approach in implementing the program,” he said. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)
