Global fintech leaders to gather in Manila in May

Global leaders in the financial technology industry are set to meet and discuss global trends in Manila in May as part of the first Philippine Fintech Festival.

Scheduled for May 20 and 21 in Taguig City, the Philippine Fintech Festival is a gathering in which global innovation experts will discuss the future of banking, industry transformation, and financial inclusion.

"We strongly believe that this is a pivotal moment for us to become more relevant and competitive in the global marketplace," said Trade Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba. "With all the work and tech innovation building up in the country in recent years, we are ready to expand our horizons."

The festival is in partnership with government agencies such as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the Departments of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Science and Technology (DOST), and Trade and Industry (DTI).

It is also in partnership with private corporations and organizations such as the Distributed Ledger Technology Association of the Philippines (DLTAP) and the FinTech Philippines Association (FPH).

"We need to encourage Philippine business, large and small, to take the next step into the fourth industrial age and help make the Philippines an incubator for the world," said  DLTAP and FPH Chairman Justo Ortiz.

"We believe PFF 2020 can be a catalyst to tech up the Philippines through learning, experimentation, and doing," Ortiz added.

Among the speakers expected in the event are World Bank chief technology officer Lesly Goh, IFC World Bank Group global digital finance specialist Lowell Campbell, Uber angel investor Jason Calacanis, Coins.PH founder and CEO Ron Hose, and Home Credit CFO Zdenek Jankovsky, among others.

"The Philippine Fintech Festival promises to be a showcase of the latest technological innovations both here and abroad to local and international businesses," added DICT Undersecretary Jose Arturo de Castro.

"This will definitely go a long way in helping us develop the country’s capability for innovation through the continuous development of information and communications technology," he elaborated. — DVM, GMA News