The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
MANILA, Philippines — The Manila Tech Summit marked its fifth year with a bold push to position the Philippines as a key player in the global fintech ecosystem, gathering more than 1,300 delegates from over 300 organizations at Shangri-La The Fort, Bonifacio Global City, from August 26 to 27.
Organized by FinTech Alliance.PH, the country’s largest digital industry association representing over 130 companies that drive more than 95 percent of digital retail transactions, this year’s summit carried the theme: “Forging a New Global Order: Risks and Opportunities Redefined.”
The discussions reflected urgent global realities, from geopolitical shifts and technological disruption to the climate crisis and the rise of the green economy. Participants explored how fintech can thrive amid these challenges while fostering financial inclusion, multilateral cooperation, and sustainable growth.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. headlined the event, highlighting the crucial role of global economic partnerships in strengthening resilience, digital leadership, and inclusive growth in the Philippines.
Keynotes also delved into digital payments as tools for nation-building, the role of smart governance in shaping sustainable cities, the place of innovation in powering the Philippine economy, the evolving legislative landscape, and the future of capital markets in the digital age.
More than a hundred speakers from the Philippines and abroad joined fireside chats and panel discussions. Topics ranged from building a progressive regulatory environment and scaling digital adoption, to tackling cybersecurity threats and bolstering consumer trust through stronger data privacy safeguards.
Trade delegates from the Hong Kong, United Kingdom, United States, and Australia also joined the summit, emphasizing the importance of navigating shifting international dynamics. Fintech leaders from Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia also shared strategies for growth and innovation amid global polarization and rapid technological change.
Lito Villanueva, Fintech Alliance.PH Founding Chairman and RCBC Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation and Inclusion Officer, punctuated the need for the Philippine fintech sector to decipher global developments to explore and access new areas of growth and opportunities in the international stage.
“The Philippine FinTech Sector has made significant headwinds in recent years, culminating in the country mainstreaming digital payments and expanding financial inclusion. We are at another crossroads where we need to understand global contexts as well as ways and strategies to helm the sector towards new and global heights,” Villanueva said.
Fintech Alliance.PH co-presented the fifth installment of the summit with GCash. The event was supported by platinum sponsors – Advanced Finance Solution (Skyro), GrabPay Network Ph, Inc., Grab for Business, Alibaba Cloud, Ant Digital Technologies, and IDFy. Silver sponsors included BTI Payments Philippines, Inc., JuanScore Corp., TrustDecision, OutSystems, HyperVerge, Island Credit Solutions Corporation, MALI Lending Corp., FinScore, Huawei Technologies Phils, Inc., ADVANCE.AI, 8×8, Netcore Cloud and Bureau, Inc. The organization also partnered with Asia FinTech Alliance, Bank of the Philippines Islands, Tookitaki, Land Bank of the Philippines, InvestHK, Pru Life UK, ATRAM Trust Corporation, and Globaltronics Inc.
With the Philippines seeking to cement its place in the global digital economy, the Manila Tech Summit has emerged as a pivotal platform for collaboration, ensuring that local fintech innovation can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with global peers.